


A Celestial Soul

by RisaliaDragneel



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Desna1, F/M, Pradeshverse (Fairy Tail)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-05-13 12:08:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 57,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19250905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RisaliaDragneel/pseuds/RisaliaDragneel
Summary: Don't Own FT, or Desna's Pradesh family. Lucy Heartfilia has had a hard life and has been hiding her heart not trusting herself to fall in love. She has spent years staying away from romance, but now that is all challenged when she comes across a woman who needs her help. Ultimately bringing her to Bosco and secrets of her past and the reason she won't fall in love are revealed. I'm not adding Lucy's relationship because that gives away too much, if you want to know who she ends up with you'll have to read. Low on word count only because of additional future scenes not yet posted. Originally posted on Fanfic.net





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

  
Of course bloody Natsu just had to pick a mission in the sacred mountains of a small town in the middle of nowhere. Just because it mentioned mysterious fires were seen above the treeline, but whenever the town's people tried to investigate there were no signs of any fires. Plus any men on the team were scared away by a ferocious roar. Lucy was just glad that Laxus had ordered Natsu had to take the whole team for this mission, instead of leaving her alone with Natsu on a mission that he was surely to take too many risks on. The idiot might be twenty now, but he still had no sense of self preservation. Always wanting to fight the strongest opponents and trying again whenever he failed. It surprised everyone that Natsu hadn't gotten himself killed yet. There was actually a betting pool at the guild for when Natsu would finally bite off more then he could chew. To anyone that didn't know Natsu it might be morbid, but honestly they had people from all over Fiore in on the bet, even Happy had his own opinion on Natsu's recklessness. Not that anyone actually wanted Natsu to die, but he was the biggest risk taker in the guild and one day it would catch up with him.

  
So much had happened since she had joined Fairy Tail, and during this peaceful time Lucy couldn't help, but feel like something terrible was going to happen now. It was how her entire life had gone. Whenever she was getting happy something had to happen to ruin her happiness, and convince her that her life was nothing but a curse once again. She hated feeling so hopeless, but nothing ever changed, and Lucy was positive it never would.

  
"Want to say that again Flame Brain!" Gray growled at Natsu making Lucy groan as she turned to look at her two fighting team mates. Ice covering Gray's arms as his skin darkened with his demon slayer marks, Natsu flaming up completely once again. No matter how old the two got they never stopped fighting, and it was driving everyone crazy. Almost all of the other men in the guild had stopped rising to Natsu's challenges, but Gray seemed like he never would. Then again most of the other men were ready to settle down and look for a life partner. Gray and Natsu just didn't seem interested in romance. There were some people who thought Natsu and Gray were just fighting because they were into each other, but Lucy knew the two saw each other as brothers, even if both of them didn't really care what gender their partners were. They were quite Boscan in their attitudes towards pleasure.

  
"Yeah I said that you'd probably run away screaming like a coward Ice Princess!"

  
"Boys," Erza glared, although she didn't do much else she had mellowed since Jellal finally got his head out of his ass and married her. "Do you want to give Laxus a reason to finally break up Team Natsu."

  
Yeah Lucy was glad of one thing about Laxus becoming Fairy Tail's new Master. He had done what Lucy had thought was impossible, made it so that Natsu and Gray actually held back during most missions, although there were still occasional damage reports. It had surprised everyone in the guild that he hadn't automatically disbanded Team Natsu when he became Master, but he did give them a lot of conditions making it so they had to be followed as best as they could, unless if lives were in danger the boys behaved well enough Lucy was no longer struggling to make her rent on time. And thanks to Ever using a contact who made mage weave clothing Lucy no longer had to worry about her clothes being damaged all the time. Lucy had five separate type of mission outfits now, each of them made for a certain type of climate, and all of them fire and ice resistant.

  
"Idiot boys," Charle huffed. She still hadn't given Happy a chance yet, but Lucy was hopeful, she had been seeing a thaw on Charle's attitude lately.

  
"Come on we still have a lot of ground to cover tonight. Especially since we need a decent campsite. I don't really want to have to huddle around Natsu for warmth, again. Otherwise Mira will start again on why she thinks we are such a good match."

  
Mira just couldn't seem to understand why Lucy was happy enough on her own. After seeing how everyone in the guild was when it came to romance Lucy stopped faking looking for a life partner. There was no point when the guys who were fake dates got scared away by someone in the guild who wanted to protect their light. And gave Lucy a good enough reason for everyone else on why she wasn't in a relationship. It was easier since she would never tell anyone the truth. With how much she had been exploited in the past she was done giving too much about herself away and only acted when needed, although due to the time lapse in her memory and the seven year gap she had lost many of her old contacts.   
The past had made Lucy vow that she would never have children. Never see them die the way she had seen way too many people with the magic they would have die. So to make sure there were no mistakes she had given up on any kind of romance. Romantic love wasn't that important to her, she had people she saw as family and that type of love would always be enough for her in the end. Even if sometimes she felt lonely it always faded eventually.

  
'Damn it,' Lucy cursed to herself when she recognized the magic energy swirling in the air. The extra energy within the magic making her suddenly use her whip to knock Gray and Natsu down the two being unable to dodge the sneak attack. "Wendy put them to sleep now!" Having learned to trust Lucy's instincts Wendy did exactly as she was told. Then started scanning the area for any sign of a threat. Erza pulling out her strongest sword and preparing to strike any foe.

  
The youngest slayer really had grown into her own power over the last few years. She was a gorgeous young woman now and would soon go through her first draconic heat, and Lucy would make sure she would be prepared when the time came. It had taken time to convince Charle that Wendy was growing into a young woman, and to not chaperone her on every date she went on. But thanks to finally getting some more freedom from the mothering Exceed, Wendy was more confident in herself, and was becoming one of the most requested members of Fairy Tail. She never caused destruction on the missions she took without Natsu or Gray, and with the fact that she could heal she was requested frequently. Although as the only healer in all of Fairy Tail Laxus had demanded she go with at least Charle and one other person for every mission. Not because they didn't trust Wendy's abilities, but because just like Lucy was a constant target for her magic, Wendy was an even bigger target. Healers were the rarest magic users in all of Earthland after all. Lucy herself was under similiar restrictions, not that she always obeyed them.

  
"What is it Lucy-nee?"

  
"You guys stay here."

  
Lucy didn't even give them a chance to respond she just took off running. Cursing idiot dragons as she followed the trail of magic. She was glad Natsu had forced her to come on this mission, otherwise things could have gotten messy.

  
It didn't take Lucy long to find the cave that the energy was coming from. It had been so long since Lucy had felt anything like this, that she had thought maybe she had been imagining it due to her melancholy, but it seemed she could still recognize the air of a pregnant dragon slayer. The field of magic swirling in the front was basically a challenge to male dragon slayers to try and break through meaning this female obviously wasn't mated. The magic of the mating would have kept her energy locked up tight to keep her and the future hatchlings safe. And considering how it was trying to lock on to something she was far from her kin. Lucy had heard rumors of other dragon slayers, but she had never thought she might meet one of them this way. Honestly she had thought she would met one after Natsu tracked them down for a fight.  
Allowing her aura to swirl around her Lucy started to walk through the cave. The energy swirling around her embracing her as it seemed to recognize her, meaning Lucy had most likely known the dragon whose soul this slayer held. Unfortunately she couldn't recognize the magic with the additional magic of the hatchlings bleeding from their mother's womb. Whoever the dragon had been, had clearly forgotten to warn the poor slayer about being careful not to let males other then their mate beat them in a battle if they were going to have sex. It was irresponsible and could have cost this woman her life.

  
_"Cristoff,"_ the voice sounded weak, with all of the unknown males around her the female slayer had probably hidden out in this cave until her tatsu could find her. Or she was already all alone and scared having no one to trust during this time. Lucy wondered if she had even realized she was pregnant, or if she believed what everyone else believed that a female slayer could only become pregnant by her mate. Heck even Natsu and Gajeel had believed they could only impregnant their mates, and Lucy had to be the one to tell them even dragon slayers could have illegitmate children if they didn't wrap up or use the boscan infertility disks.

  
"No I'm Lucy Heartfilia. I won't hurt you."

  
Surprisingly enough Lucy didn't have to coax the female slayer out of hiding. The second she said her name it was like the woman recognized her and stepped out of the shadows Lucy hadn't even realized the woman had been hiding in. Despite her weak sounding voice the woman seemed healthy enough, and had a small baby bump already showing. Despite the woman seeming to recognize her Lucy didn't know her. She had an exotic look to her being six feet tall with orange eyes like the sun, blonde hair lighter then Lucys, and an even better figure. There is no way Lucy would have ever forgotten meeting this woman who seemed to be the very embodiment of the sun.

  
"I'm Emzadi, I don't know why my magic is so haywire, I've tried to go home, but I just can't my instincts tell me leaving isn't safe."

  
"It's alright. It's what happenes when a dragon slayer female's dragon soul realizes she's pregnant. Without your tatsu and kin being around your dragon soul is in protective overdrive. Actual dragon males would often try to attack a lone nesting female to have her bring his children into the world, so the dragon soul is trying to protect your children until they are born."

  
"How do you know so much about dragon slayers? I've had this magic my entire life, knew an actual dragon although not the one whose magic runs through me, and they never mentioned the soul becoming protective when I'd become pregnant. I've been taking birth control that has never failed anyone else before, I didn't think I'd become pregnant by accident without my mate."

  
Emzadi's confusion just proved what Lucy had always known. Most dragons who trained a slayer didn't even talk to other dragons to find out what the magic would actually do to the human body. How it would change mating rituals and pregnancy? It was annoying, but none of this was Emzadi's fault. She just believed the information she was given. Learning from a dragon why would she ever doubt what she was told about the changes the dragons magic would bring.

`````````  
In Bosco Arman Pradesh was panicking. It had been three months since he had heard from his eldest daughter Emzadi. The mission she had been taking had only been supposed to take three days, they contacted the client and were told Emzadi had left as scheduled, but after that there was no sign anyone had seen his daughter. Cristoff and Vander had both failed in tracking her down, and her comm system had been found smashed in the forest behind the clients house. Kaleb had even questioned the client thinking maybe a trap had been set, but it had been a legitmate request, and even looking through the minds of everyone who had been in the town when Emzadi had brought nothing. She had just disappeared without a trace.

  
Out of all his children Emzadi wasn't the one he had ever been worried about being kidnapped, but he could see no other reason on why she wouldn't have contacted anyone in the family. They had hidden her disappearence from the rest of White Sea while the main team searched, but it seemed like they might have to alert the guild to their missing slayer.

  
He hadn't felt this scared since he had heard about the bombing of the Embassy in Pergrande before he found out his wife had died. Arman had been lucky enough to find his son Zen alive, although at the time he had thought he had gained Zen back at the cost of Bickslow dying on his Guild's holy land.

  
"Dad we'll find her Emi's strong, she probably just got distracted at some kind of spa or something," Kaleb said although despite the confidence in his voice the look in his eyes gave away how much worry his son was feeling. Kaleb wasn't just Emzadi's older brother he was also her Guild Master, and Arman knew Kaleb was blaming himself for Emzadi disappearing.

  
All of his children were terrified. Bickslow had even come to Bosco with his teammates, other then Laxus who was busy running Fairy Tail, despite not having set foot in the country since before he joined Fairy Tail. During his time sleeping on Tenrou Island, Arman had finally gotten Bickslow pardoned for his Seith magic, but his son had been happy as things had been. His family going to visit him. For Bickslow to finally come home it meant he was terrified his sister was dead. He had been too afraid before to return thinking something bad would happen the instant he came home. Arman had been hoping to get Bickslow to come home proving his fear wrong, but he had never though his son would come home like this.

  
Xally was inconsolable when she had found out. Zen was blaming himself thinking whoever had taken Emzadi had really been after him. And Farron was blaming himself that he couldn't be home to help find his sister, but the situation in Alvarez was still precarious since Zeref's death. Either Farron or Arman himself went every couple months to deal with one problem or another.

  
He had thought after the two wars his children would be safe for a long time. Zeref had been defeated in Fiore at the same time his own country had gone to war with Pergrande, freeing the slaves and finding his lost son in the process. Zeref had been so certain he could defeat Fiore first and that well he was fighting Fiore, Bosco would fall to Pergrande because of his deal with Kardian. Instead both countries came out victors in their own wars.

  
His children had been his world since his dear Ganier had passed. She had decided after they were married that she wanted a large family, and when she died after only giving him two children, he had adopted the rest. Arman was certain he would never love anyone again. He still wore his wedding bands. Knowing that Ganier was his other half and no one could ever possibly replace her. There had been a short time after he found out Zen was alive that he had hoped that maybe he would find Ganier alive as well. That her death had been a lie as well, but it had been three years and there was no record of her anywhere. It was like he had lost her all over again. He had only just started to heal all over again from what felt like her second loss.

  
Now his baby girl was missing and the worst part was not knowing what had happened to her. No Dark Guild was claiming to have her. It seemed as far as the rest of the world knew Emzadi Pradesh was just on another mission. There were no whisperings of her on any market. And it made him fear she was already dead.

  
```````````````  
Deep in her heart Lucy felt a sharp stabbing pain. But as always she ignored it. She had grown used to it over her childhood feeling pains that came from nowhere. It would eventually fade there was nothing she could do about it. Emzadi however she could help. It would be difficult, but the dragon slayer needed to get home to her kin before her hatchlings were born. For an unmated female the pregnancy was always worse, especially since she was feeding her hatchlings her powers, more then what a mated female gave since most of their development usually relied on their fathers. Emzadi's bonds with her kin would help lessen the chance of her dying when she gave birth due to having used too much of her own magic during her pregnancy. Kin bonds supplied power usually only enough to keep the bond going, but when one was in danger or hurt it would react, which is probably why Lucy's kin were always so protective over her. She was almost always in danger.

  
Seeing how peacefully the slayer was sleeping now it seemed in the few hours they had known each other Emzadi's dragon soul had made Lucy kin. Probably to increase her chances of survival. It would help though to have that bond in place to make sure Lucy could get Emzadi home safely. The only issue was what to do with her team. They hadn't been so pleased when she had called them on her comm and told them she wasn't coming back yet. Probably more so because she refused to tell them about Emzadi. Even if Lucy didn't recognize the female slayer she did recognize her Guild mark. White Sea was the biggest Guild in Bosco and the oldest Guild still running in all of Earthland. Without knowing the full story of what had happened besides her pregnancy to drive Emzadi to hide in this cave, Lucy wouldn't dare risk her life. So for now she couldn't trust her team with this, not when Natsu couldn't be trusted around Emzadi in her current conditon.

  
Opening her comm as it beeped she wasn't surprised to see Laxus's face staring back at her, "I'm not coming home."

  
_"Blondie."_

  
"Oh don't take that tone with me Laxus. I have other duties outside of Fairy Tail that I have been lax with for way too long. My help is needed, and Natsu and the other's will be no help this time. There are times when I need to do things myself."

  
"And of course you won't give me any details will you Blondie. Stubborn girl."

  
"Oh you have no idea Laxus how stubborn I can be. I'll stay safe. Everyone needs to trust me. The time of allowing you guys to coddle me is over. Unlike Wendy I am an adult and it is time this guild treats me this way."

  
Lucy knew Laxus would take her words as her threatening to leave Fairy Tail. Although with this cycle she had no idea why she would ever wish to leave. Everything important to her was in Fairy Tail. The rest she had lost to the harsh ravages of time. Sometimes she just needed to spread her wings for a time and be alone.

  
Besides helping Emzadi would hopefully finally give her the answers she had been seeking. For too long she had allowed fear to keep her away from Bosco, afraid of what she would find there. The brief time she had spent there as a child had made her deadly ill, and she was apparently talking gibberish about someone named Tessa telling them it wasn't their fault she was going to die. Since then Lucy had refused to go back to Bosco to afraid of what she would learn. Of the betrayal that had most likely been dealt to her by the one being she had thought would never do anything to hurt her.   
"We can help Blondie. The guild needs you!"

  
"Not as much as this person does. I need to do this Laxus. Just trust me. I'll check in once a day."

  
````````````  
Laxus Dreyar growled at the screen as the stubborn Light of Fairy Tail hung up on him. The woman was a damned trouble magnet. But he was not able to say no to her. His dragon knew she could handle herself, it was just that she was the only person in the entire guild who could make everyone stop. Laxus was honestly surprised his grandfather hadn't decided to name her Master instead. Especially considering that Lucy had more training then he ever had. As an heiress she already knew how to deal with the business side of the Guild, and no one could deny that she was the one every member went to when they were in trouble. She was Fairy Tail's Light and it was going to be so hard to explain to them how he could allow her to go on an unknown mission without forcing her to come home.

  
Before Laxus's dragon had named her kin he knew his grandfather was praying she would be his mate. Gramps wanted grandchildren and to him the best mother for those grandchildren would be Blondie. Honestly Laxus had been a little disappointed himself. But he knew his dragon wouldn't get his other half wrong, and believed that there was someone way better out there for her anyway. Whoever the poor man was would have a hard time convincing Lucy to give him a chance however, but if he did the whole guild would accept him with no hassle. They all knew Lucy could be happier and they wanted the best for her. Even if the best would one day take her away from Fairy Tail.

  
At least she had the decency to tell him she would check in daily. Lucy always kept her word it was a part of what made her such a powerful mage. He also knew she was strong enough to face any foe. She was the one who always got the guild out of their worst situations after all. It was better then what Bix and his family were going through. They didn't even know where Emzadi was.   
Laxus hadn't seen the little spitfire since just before he had been stuck on Tenrou. Circumstances had always kept him busy when she was visiting Bix, but he was still worried about her. He could remember how she used to trail behind him when he would visit her family acting as his grandfather's liason to White Sea, but really bringing them info on Bix. The little girl had even tried sneaking into his cabin once planning to run away just so she could go see her big brother. And when he caught her she had tried to threaten him to take her with him anyway by burning all his hair off.

  
He wanted to help Bix and his family so badly. Needed to see for himself that the little spitfire who used to stay glued to his side at every visit was safe. Laxus hated not being able to be there for Bix. But his guild needed him and Gajeel was discreetly going through his own contacts left in the dark just to see if there was any rumors about adult female slaves about ready to be sold. Cobra was doing the same with Meredy as his back up. But there had been nothing. Unlike Emzadi's family though something in Laxus told him the little spitfire was alright. They would find her alive. There was just something keeping her from reaching out to them.

  
Sighing he made the call to Blondie's team ordering them home. Cutting Erza off when she tried to protest, "Lucy is a strong woman if she needs to do something alone we will let her."

  
"She's not supposed to be alone!"

  
"Lucy's never alone. Her spirits can open their gates on their own and will protect her. Sometimes we just need to do things on our own. If she needs us she will call. Now come home, if any of you even think about going after her I will disband Team Natsu permanently. We need to show her we trust her judgement, or she might even disband your team all on her own."

  
"We'll be home in the morning Master Laxus. Erza and I will make sure that Natsu and Gray listen to your orders when they wake up."   
At least Wendy was still sesible enough. He hoped once she fully matured as a dragon slayer that she wouldn't become as unbearable as the male slayers. Or else his guild would get even harder to run in the future. 


	2. Chapter 2:

Chapter 2:

The next morning Lucy waited until Emzadi had woken up before leaving Aries with her and donning the star dress for Sagittarius. Before she could even think of starting the long trek to get Emzadi home without putting her or her hatchlings in danger, Lucy had to make sure the both of them were well fed. And the best thing for a dragon slayer mother to be was meat. So even though it wasn't one of her favorite things to do Lucy would have to hunt.

  
"Laxus."

  
"Blondie glad to see you're keeping your word. Your team got here this morning. Pissed off that you didn't come back with them. I ordered them to tell anyone who asks that you've gone to your parents graves for a while."

  
"Thanks Sparky. I know you aren't happy I decided to leave, but this isn't something I could do with anyone on the team."

  
"I'll hold everyone off as long as I can, but Blondie if you even miss one call to me I will make sure every Dragon Slayer in Fiore is called to hunt you down, might even involve the God Slayers if I need to."

  
It seemed that Laxus had calmed down since yesterday. Which was amazing for her. Not having him on her side for this would have risked someone finding out she was with Emzadi. And Laxus would probably think her being around a pregnant dragon slayer wasn't really the safest thing she could be doing at this point in time.

  
He was a great guild master. Lucy knew he had doubts at times, but he did his best and kept the guild under better control then Master Makarov ever had. Usually his threats would make her angry, but today they made her smile, it proved how much he had changed. And as his Kin it had to be hard for him to allow her to do something potentially dangerous without knowing any details about it.

  
"Take care Sparky. I'll call again tomorrow."

  
````````  
Emzadi was happy Lucy had found her, although she didn't understand her dragon's instant connection to the Celestial Mage. She had heard a lot about the Light of Fairy Tail from Bix and his teammates, but she had never actually met the woman. Probably because Bix had been too afraid to have Emzadi in the same building as the Fire Dragon Slayer, knowing with how competitive she was the two of them probably would have demolished the Guild Hall if they ever fought. Or maybe Bix was just afraid that this Slayer would have been Emzadi's mate. The Solar Dragon Slayer and the Fire Dragon Slayer probably sounded like a match made in heaven to most people. Both of them being able to give each other power. Although with how a mate is supposed to calm your impulsiveness Emzadi didn't think she and the Fire Dragon Slayer would suit.

  
Around Lucy it was like Emzadi's inner dragon was a baby kitten purring for affection from it's parents or owner. Lucy made her feel safe in a way only her father had done for her. The way a parent makes a child feel safe. Perhaps this is why Laxus was so protective over her because Lucy is the glue to his own Tatsu. Keeping the aggressive slayers in line. And her way of making people feel safe may very well be what gave her the nickname of the Light of Fairy Tail because who other then a guild's light could produce such warmth.

  
With everything she had ever heard about Lucy it surprised her that the other woman hadn't immediately tried to convince Emzadi to contact her family. Although it could very well be that Lucy didn't recognize who she was. Maybe she believed Emzadi was all on her own. The two of them hadn't really discussed much other then Lucy making sure Emzadi ate the food Lucy had in her pack before allowing her to go back to sleep.

  
For months all Emzadi had felt was confusion and her instincts kept taking her over. She had been killing animals for food, but when the nearby towns people became suspicious of her fire she had hidden or growled if a male came too close to her cave. Barely a coherant thought had gone through her mind. All she could think of was protecting the young inside her, and knowing she was too far away from her kin. Yet when Lucy came she had finally came back into control of herself. Although she still didn't know how to contact her family. Even though she was in control she was still overly cautious and afraid of the comm signal being picked up by the wrong person when she is in such a delicate state. So she had done nothing even though she knew through Lucy she could at least contact Bix and let him know she was alright. By now her family was probably sick with worry.

  
Plus she didn't really know what to tell them about the father of her children. The two of them had met by chance after a while once she was done an undercover assignment and looked nothing like herself. She had felt so sick over what the dark guild had been doing that she had gone to a fight club needing to calm herself down. The club's only rule was no magic so she had gone all out with the fighting style she had honed over years with the help of her brothers and uncle. Then he had come into the ring and bested her. Emzadi had recognized him right away, knew he hadn't recognized her in her disguise, so she had seduced him knowing he never would have allowed them to share pleasure otherwise. Not wanting to risk him finding out who she was she had left before he woke the next morning, and had tried to put that night out of her mind. He wasn't her mate, she had been hopeful finally sharing pleasure would get him out of her mind, but she just couldn't stop thinking about that night and had been unable to share pleasure with anyone else. Now she was having his children and he didn't even realize they had slept together.

  
In Bosco if a man didn't use proper precautions to prevent pregnancy the mother had all the rights to her children. Her children wouldn't have his name unless if they were married, and knowing he wasn't her mate she couldn't marry him. So there was no point telling him she was pregnant. But at the same time she knew it wasn't his fault, she had seen him take the birth control her brother Cristoff made, knew he wasn't ready to be a father, but how could she not tell him he was going to be a father. It wasn't either of them being reckless that brought this on and he deserved to know he had children. And her family knowing she had a mate would never force them to marry. Not wanting to tell him though came from her heart. Emzadi had been in love with him for years, but knew since he wasn't her mate they had no future, she didn't know if she could stand seeing him frequently for at least the next sixteen years.

  
"Stressing isn't good for the little ones, I'm sorry," the blushing spirit said. If Emzadi hadn't heard how good Lucy was from her brother she would fear the spirit was being mistreated, but she had seen the look of sisterly love Aries had given Lucy. And had heard how Lucy had recognized the spirit from a horrible master.

  
"I just don't know if I'm ready."

  
"Most first time mothers aren't, I'm sorry. But Princess Lucy will make sure you and you're children will be kept safe. I'm sorry. Despite what people know about her she is much stronger then she appears. I'm sorry."

  
"I know. "

  
``````````````  
Back in Bosco where once he had been worrying Zen Pradesh found himself feeling a familiar warmth. When he had been a child he had felt warmth many times it gave him strength and the courage he needed to not give up. The warmth this time filled him to brim with reassurance, and somehow he knew his little sister was going to be fine. Someone was watching over her and protecting her.

  
As the only Arch Angel currently in existence there were many facets of his magic he was learning about as well. He knew he had links to his family and the further away from them the weaker they were. Emzadi's had been weak and feral feeling, causing him to think she had been in danger, but now despite still being a bit weak it was like she had finally calmed down. She felt safe and the calmness radiating off of her was the same way she always felt at home. Meaning someone she trusted was with her.

  
'Got it Zen, I'll tell dad, Emi's still too far out of my reach to contact her,' his brother had been keeping links in place with each family member since they had realized two and half months ago that something was wrong. Kaleb had been worried that someone would target the rest of the family, and wanted to know right away if someone else disappeared or felt like they were in danger.

  
When Emzadi came home maybe Zen would finally feel the warmth from his childhood from the person who was giving it out. As a child he had imagined the warmth was his parents watching over him, and when he found out only his mother was dead he was certain it was her. In the last few years since he had been brought home he had been less certain. Something about the warmth had gotten stronger instead of weaker, and the feeling was like someone alive. No one knew what had happened to Galasfriel or his sister, so perhaps the warmth had something to do with one of them watching him. They might not have had enough power to break him out on their own, so instead just made sure he was kept alive until someone could save him.

  
Whoever it was would do everything in their power to protect Emzadi, and she would come home safely. Zen just didn't know how long it would take.

  
`````````````  
"We should get going now."

  
Lucy still hadn't really figured out how to get Emzadi to open up to her about her kin. So instead she would just make sure Emzadi got home safely. They had talked a little about White Sea while they ate. Hearing about how the Master of White Sea ran his guild made Lucy wonder if she could convince Laxus to buy the system for Fairy Tail. Then maybe she could completely curb Natsu's destructiveness, or they would be given jobs were destruction was what the clients wanted.

  
"Why are you so accepting of me not telling you anything about why I'm here?"

  
"Because your story is your own. My guild knows barely anything about me from before I became the Light of the Guild, there is no point trying to get information from someone who isn't ready to share it. I know you're a member of White Sea, and that your guild is a major dark guild hunter, explaining why you would want to be discrete about heading home in your condition. Besides it finally gives me a reason to show Laxus his rules for me are ridiculous."

  
"Are you planning to leave your guild?"

  
Lucy laughed at that tears streaming down her face from how hard she was laughing. Leaving Fairy Tail wasn't in the cards for her. Nothing could make her leave her guild. Not after everything she had done to make sure she had a guild to come home to. Fairy Tail was her life now. Anyone else she had ever cared for was gone. Fairy Tail wasn't and even if it was she would fight to bring it back again and again. As long as she is Lucy Heartfilia she is the light of Fairy Tail. Sure White Sea had an amazing reputation. But Lucy didn't see how such a large guild could have the feeling of family she had gained with Fairy Tail. A feeling she had lost a long time ago. Her guild filled a hole in her heart.

  
"Not after everything I've done for them. Otherwise my sacrifices would have been pointless."

  
Three years and still no sign of Aquarius's key resurfacing. Lucy had searched everywhere she could think of. Used every resource Lucy Heartfilia had, but there was no luck finding her loyal key. Maybe it was better that she and Aquarius hadn't reunited. Something told Lucy her years of hiding would end soon. Everyone would know the truth about the sacrifices that defined her life.

  
Emzadi gave Lucy a sad look, but Lucy just turned and summoned her newest Spirit Chez, the Auriga constellation, and driver of a Chariot. He would be able to help her and Emzadi travel as much ground as they needed, without putting them in any danger. Of course it would slow down some of the time, but the two of them needed to dress warmly since to keep hidden they needed to travel high up in the clouds. Chez also had two winged goats named Aein and Caei, who pulled the Chariot through the sky. Aein and Caei also had the ability to shapeshift to appear like normal horses when the Chariot traveled on the ground.

  
"Princess where are we headed today?" Chez asked bowing. He looked just like a normal driver wearing a suit, black hair, blue eyes, and average height for a man. Nothing that brought attention to him when he wasn't called out with his flying chariot. Occasionally he was better suited for ground travel, and his unmemorable appearance made him a great spy when needed.

  
"Towards Bosco, we will travel as far as we can today, gently though my companion is pregnant."

  
"Of course Princess. Just ask if you need us to stop at anytime miss."

  
Helping Emzadi into the Chariot Lucy was hopeful it would only take them a week to travel to Bosco. Chez was a great driver and had a current map of Earthland always in his head. He never got lost, and always knew the shortest and safest routes to travel. And he was available anytime Lucy needed him because she had made a deal with him that she would only call him when she had no better choice. Most people in the guild didn't even know she held his key because he was rarely one she needed.

  
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Emzadi felt sad as she and Lucy flew off towards her home. The way the other woman talked made it clear she had a lot of secrets. Something that had made Kaleb suspicious, but when he looked into her background he just found the history of Lady Heartfilia a normal young noble woman. Yet he still found something felt off about her.

  
Bix had told them about how she was the one who freed everyone trapped in the Plutogrim, and that no one knew exactly what had happened. Bix just knew that whatever happened had taken a toll on her soul, and left a fracture. Something he couldn't fix because her soul was apparently unlike any he had ever seen before. Pure white like the souls he had only ever seen in babies, with gem like crystals showing the fractures, and other sparkling gems shaped like stars in a constellation he couldn't recognize. He still trusted her with no doubts, and for Emzadi that was enough for her to claim Lucy as Kin. Bix's soul reading was never wrong if he felt Lucy was trustworthy and full of light then she was the perfect person for Emzadi to trust to get her home. And now she had another sister.

  
For some reason though despite the fact that she trusted Lucy with no hesitation something told her not to tell Lucy her last name. Something deep within seemed to think it would cause Lucy pain, and that isn't something Emzadi wanted to do. It was easy to sense that Lucy was already in more pain than someone her age should be. There was no way Emzadi would purposely make it worse if she could help it.

  
Perhaps the time it took her and Lucy to travel back to Bosco would allow her to learn what gave such a warm person eyes filled with sadness. Emzadi had never seen such pained eyes. Which was saying something considering the fact that all of her siblings had been broken in some way as children. Their pain had been horrid, and yet something told her what Lucy had been through was worse then what all of her siblings had been through combined.

  
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Bix sighed in relief when Kaleb gave them Zen's message. If she was feeling the same way she felt whenever she was home he knew she had to be safe. He was still majorly worried, but he trusted Zen his brother wouldn't give them false hope, they would find Emzadi if she didn't end up coming home on her own first. Then they could find out what had caused her to disappear for three months.

  
Picking up his comm he called Laxus. He knew his old friend was worried about Emzadi just as much as Bix's family was. Laxus could remember Emi as a little girl who followed him around like a little puppy, and even if he hadn't seen her in years he had still stayed in contact with her over the comms. They were close friends, something Laxus didn't have a lot of.

  
"Any news?" Honestly with how worried Laxus was about Emi it had made Bix wonder if maybe his best friend and little sister were mates. Bix had never seen Laxus worry this much about anyone other then Cosplayer, and she was his Kin now, and honestly everyone in the family other then Emi had been claimed as Kin by Laxus. Once Emi was home Bix would have to enlist Vander's help in a plot to see if those two really were mates. If anyone could claim Emi and survive it would be Laxus. Plus at least he could trust Laxus to take great care of his little sister.

  
"Zen got a read on her that's as calm as when she's at home. Wherever she is she's calm and happy. But we still don't have contact."

  
"Fuck first Spitfire disappears without a fucking trace, and now Blondie's off on a stupid secret bloody mission with only her spirits to keep her safe!"

  
Lucy being gone from the guild didn't bold well. That woman was a walking trouble magnet. Even if she did have the brightest warmest soul Bix had ever seen, she also had the saddest. That contrast made sure every person with a speck of light was attracted to her brightness wishing that she could help them stay safe and in the light, and every fucking dark guild out there wanted to use her in some kind of damned evil plot. Considering how protective Laxus was of his fellow blonde Bix couldn't believe that Laxus didn't drag her home immediately.

  
Every dragon slayer she had ever met she had tamed. Almost like they were wild animals who had pledged their souls to keeping her safe. If she had been a slayer she probably would have been a Queen. Even without being a slayer she was the center of the Fioran Tatsu. Basically their Queen. Sting and Rogue even came to Lucy when they were having a problem. Hell Rogue came to Lucy to ask her if he was allowed to mate Orga when the two finally realized what was between them. Acting as if she really was his Queen. At least that's how Bix saw it considering what Nurem had taught them about Tatsu's and Dragon's when she lived at home. He had actually been thinking of how to get her to meet Cristoff and Emzadi without risking his siblings meeting Natsu, since he would challenge them to a fight, wanting to see how Emi and Cris would be with her.

  
Although it wasn't just dragon slayers she could handle. There had been many people in Fiore who had argued over Laxus becoming Master of Fairy Tail, allies had thought Lucy would have been the better Master. She charmed everyone she met. Made old enemies into allies in they had even the slightest shard of light left in their souls. Truthfully Bix could see how she could be a better Master, but Lucy had never wanted to be Master. She liked going on missions, being independent, and able to watch over her friends. To her running the guild would have been too similiar to her life as the Heartfilia Heiress. A life she had run away from because it wasn't what she had wanted.

  
Bix knew there were a lot of things about Cosplayer that didn't add up. Knew his older brother Kaleb was suspicious about some of the things that had happened since Cosplayer had joined the guild. How she had saved them from Tartaros without anyone finding out exactly what she had done and how her body had been able to handle the magic power from everyone who powered Fairy Sphere to trap Acnologia, a move that would have killed anyone else. That much power Bix had doubted even Kaleb could have handled and lived. But he also knew she loved their guild and would never do anything to harm it or anyone in it. So despite the fact that her magic didn't add up to a normal Celestial Spirit Mage, Bix trusted her with his life and the lives of everyone he loved.

  
A part of Bix had wanted to beg Cosplayer to come to Bosco to help him and his team. When even Cris couldn't keep everyone in the family calm he knew Cosplayer would have been able to quickly win his family over. She would have been able to give them all hope that Emi was alive and well. And somehow Cosplayer would have found a way to make everything better, she would have been able to help them find Emi. It was an ability she seemed to have to solve the problems of everyone in the guild. Despite the trouble she brought along she always found a solution in the end. Her mind worked in a way that no one else's did, and Bix had a feeling if she had been alive during Mavis's time she would have been able to out manuever the Fairy Tactician easily.

  
"Boss do you want me to ask Kaleb to send someone in the guild to find Cosplayer?"

  
"No. Blondie made it very clear what would happen if I didn't let her do this. That woman is so bloody stubborn. It's just going to annoy me keeping her damn team under control long enough for her to do whatever she needs to do. But keep that offer in mind. Blondie promised to check in every day, so if she doesn't I might need the help of White Sea as well as the Fioran Dragon slayers."

  
Damn Cosplayer really worked her magic this time. Or Laxus was just to worried about Emi's disappearance, and his dragon wasn't as worried over Cosplayer as usual. It seemed he just kept getting more proof that Emi was Laxus's mate. Why else would the boss be acting so out of character?

  
'This woman just sounds stranger and more suspicious every time I hear about her Bix.' Kaleb said through their link the moment he ended his call with Laxus.

  
'And I've told you Kaleb I trust Cosplayer. Whatever she is doing right now is important enough to her she left her team behind, and she usually indulges their over protective nature. If you can't trust her without meeting her yourself, at least trust me.'

  
'When she gets back from wherever she is I want you to make it so either Farron or I meet her.'

  
'Kaleb.'

  
'That's not a request Bix. I do trust you, but this woman makes dragon slayers act weird, I just need to make sure you're not being manipulated in some way.'

  
'Fine, but you will eat your words when you meet her.'

  
Bix knew Kaleb was just being overly protective right now, and he understood. His brother was the Master of his own guild it was his job to make sure the people under his command and his family members were safe. Especially when he was so concerned about Emi. Kaleb would be apologizing to Cosplayer when he met her, Bix knew that, because Cosplayer would show him there was nothing to worry about.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

The closer they got to Bosco the more concerned Lucy had gotten. The scar she always hid was itching like crazy, something that hadn't happened in years, and just made Lucy more certain that her memory loss had something to do with Bosco. It was funny considering the history she actually had in Bosco, the true country of her birth thousands of years ago. She was older then Zeref had been when he had died in soul, but her body always restarted from that of an infant. That was what happened when she died, and usually Lucy had her memories from each life time. But she did not have any memories from the life before she became Lucy Heartfilia. Something that had never happened in her life. But her adopted father refused to tell her why he had taken her memories away, he was the only one with the power to mess with her mind, and the only one who would have ever had a reason to.

Before Bosco was even Bosco Lucy had been born into the first ever clan that settled there. The country was the sacred land of her people. Phoenix's those born with the ability to be born anew in a wave of fire. The only way to kill her people was when their souls died, and sometimes Lucy wondered if the clan still existed in Bosco and if that was the true reason Seith Magic had been outlawed for a time. Unlike other Boscan clans the Phoenix's did not wear their sacred animal as a tattoo because every child born into the clan had the ability to become an actual Phoenix. Throughout history they had hidden themselves helping where they could and making sure no dark mages would ever use them for nefarious means.

Lucy was the only one who actually left the clan and that was during her second cycle when somehow her entire family had been slaughtered, their cycles never starting again. At that time she had not yet found a life mate and had no children of her own. Losing her family had sent her into a dark spiral because she was the only one who had survived the massacre, but despite being a survivor of it she didn't know how they had actually died. The only sign left was a sword, that had gone through her chest barely missing her heart, leaving a nasty scar on her chest and back. It gave away her identity every life time, and she had taken to hiding it when she realized there were people tracking her.

Phoenix's had been in Earthland longer then dragons who had immigrated to Lucy's world when she was starting her seventh life cycle. Something had happened in their home world causing a few dragons to escape into Earthland, bringing the magic of dragons into her world, and upsetting the natural balance of magic. Introducing dragons had caused some ancient magics to be lost and new magics to come into being. And the arrival of the dragons was what had connected the Celestial World with Earthland and was what led to the creation of Celestial Mages. The magic Lucy learned herself in a roundabout way to hide the fact she was a phoenix. Her flames only being used when she absolutely had no other choice. And her true identity only known to a few Spirits.

After seeing what happened between the humans and dragons the Phoenix's went deeper underground and Lucy completely lost touch with the clan. It had become too dangerous for her to travel between the worlds she belonged to. Seeing so many humans and dragons slaughtered made her believe her people had been right to hide away. True peace seemed like an impossible task and Lucy found herself acting more and more human every life time. She got herself involved in the wars fighting for whatever side she believed was right, and protecting innocent children. But she had refused to make more family, only trusting two beings in her life.

Until she made a mistake during one life becoming the younger sister of someone who reopened the heart she believed to be closed for ages. He lived through a few cycles with her being the only man she ever told her secret too, and he protected her, and so in turn she protected his descendants. Although it had been hard to find every line of his family tree she had been able to protect one branch. The branch she would eventually rejoin as Lucy Heartfilia. Taking back her the name she had used for her first ten cycles before it became too painful to use, and she got into the habit of allowing others to give her her newest name. Finding it easier to hid in history if she changed parts of her appearance and her name, and moved all over Earthland. There was no where she hadn't seen during her long life. But she had still never fallen in love. It was what made her so terrified of what might have happened during the cycle she couldn't remember, and had made her so terrified as Lucy Heartfilia that the reason she was hunted so much was someone else, someone untrustworthy, finally knew about the existence of the Golden Phoenix. The name Lucy's clan had given her because she had been born with golden brown eyes and blonde hair with only streaks of red within. When most of her clan was made of red, blues, greens, and oranges. Very rarely were there purple or golden phoenix's, although her wings were made of every color of flame and trailed behind her.

Flying it was something she missed deeply doing under her own power. But it had become something she could rarely indulge in. Too many people could potentially spot her and since her wings were made of actual flames it was hard to hide even if she flew high into the sky. So Lucy had just gotten used to flying under different means.

Going against Zeref had been the closest Lucy had ever come to showing her true form since her first cycle after he came into existence. She had tried to fight him and Acnologia on her own as the Golden Phoenix, but she had made the mistake of thinking she could take both of them on at the same time. The two against her had easily killed her making her have to restart her cycle earlier then usual. Every cycle they became more powerful and she had never been able to defeat them on her own, or with the dragons or normal mages. So she had decided to wait until dragon slayers and E.N.D came back knowing they were her only hope. And she had joined Fairy Tail thinking one day she would have to end Natsu's life, but instead she had created a new family, who she would have done almost everything for. Fear of what Acnologia and Zeref would do to Fairy Tail if they found out who she really was kept her from using her powers against them. Being a phoenix was how she had been able to use all the power to keep Acnologia in the Fairy Sphere even when her own reserves were getting harder to dig into. Together they had defeated them once and for all.

Fear still kept her from telling Fairy Tail anything about her past. Fear and guilt that she had been unable to stop the threat hundreds of years ago. Despite knowing how Fairy Tail was she couldn't believe they could accept her past. Accept how old she really was and that she wasn't actually human, that she was a true immortal. And also because there had been those in the past who knew of the phoenix's and tried to use them to become immortal. Those who tried always ended up cursed and would eventually die a painful death, but not before they could reek havoc on Earthland. Making it better for Lucy to still pretend to be a human celestial spirit mage who was more powerful then most, and to keep doing what she had always done protecting the innocents.  
Emzadi was like all the other dragon slayers clueless to what Lucy really was, but her dragon recognized the power and light within Lucy. Her phoenix soul always attracted dragons and dragon slayers they could recognize the power within her, but most never found out what it was caused by. Even dragons rarely ever found out about the existence of phoenix's. Although it had worked out well with Emzadi because if Lucy had been anyone else Emzadi would have stayed in her half feral state until she had given birth and weened the hatchlings. Becoming dangerous to anyone around her who wasn't kin, and she could have been killed to keep her under control by people who wouldn't understand that it wasn't truly her conscious actions.

Fate seemed to have led her to Emzadi, it seemed to be what always happened with Lucy, when fate started to turn once again she was led to where she needed to be. Usually when fate intervened in her life it never meant anything good. Lucy was tired. If this was the sign that another war would start again soon it would be too soon. Zeref had upset the balance of nature as had Acnologia, and maybe she had been naive in thinking nature would reset when they were gone. Her long life was taking it's toll on her, and Lucy just wanted some time to rest, time to act like a normal woman until she had to live her life all over again be alone once again.

* * *

Kaleb still couldn't pick up anything from Emzadi, but Zen was certain that his little girl was getting closer to Bosco. Arman was relieved and concerned at the same time. Relieved because it meant his baby might finally be coming home. Concerned because he wasn't sure what state she would be in when she arrived. If whoever was bringing her home had rescued her from something, or had escaped with her. All Arman knew for sure about this person with Emzadi was they kept her as calm as she was when she was with family. A rare feat for his outspoken daughter.

What really didn't make sense to him was that Zen felt a connection to the person with Emzadi, saying they had a familiar warmth that he had been feeling his entire life. He couldn't really explain it just saying he had a few ties already in place, the same ties that had allowed Zen to recognize Arman and Farron when they finally found him alive. That secret ability was what kept Zen from being tricked when he was a slave in Pergrande. Zen's description didn't really give Arman enough information to figure out who else Zen had a connection to, all they knew was that Zen still hadn't met this person, and that made it impossible for Arman to narrow it down. He had thought Zen had already met everyone important in their lives since he had been back. So it concerned him that there was someone else out there his son was connected to. Making him wonder if maybe the reason Zen couldn't be controlled by Celestial Mages was because one had already bound themselves to him when he was young, and if they did Zen would never be able to tell if his feelings of safety around this person were real.

Times like this was when he really found himself wishing his wife, his beloved Ganier was still alive. She would be able to figure this out. Her mind had been unlike anyone else he had ever met. Ganier had been able to find solutions to the most outrageous problems and make them seem so simple. There had been so many times in the last twenty-eight years that he had wished she was by his side to raise their children. So many times he had felt lost, wondering if he was doing the right thing, and her personality could have made the children warm up to him so much more.

It was hard to think of how adamant she had been to Minda when they were children that she didn't want her own kids. Because from the moment she had met him Ganier had changed her mind. Suddenly she had wanted a large family, and Arman had been the one to change her mind about it without even trying. Ganier had wanted eight children in all. Believing that they had plenty of time and plenty of love for that many children. Instead she had only been able to give him two children before she was tragically murdered, and Arman had never been able to fall in love again. So he had adopted Kaleb, Cristoff, Bickslow, Emzadi, Vander, and Xally; knowing they had been chosen by his own children to be a part of their family. Fate had given him the best children he could have asked for and he wouldn't wish to lose any of them. Arman only wished that Ganier could have spent longer with them and met the other six before she had died. In his eyes Ganier was the mother of his other six children, they had just never had the time to get to know her.

There was a part of him that knew Ganier would have wanted him to move on, to find love again, but Arman hadn't been able to do it. Despite logically knowing his wife was dead there had always been a part of him that had held out hope because he never got to see her body, never got to properly mourn because there had always been the slight chance she hadn't died. That feeling had gotten even more powerful since Zen had returned home because if his son had been able to survive who was to say his mother hadn't. Yet there had always been compelling evidence Ganier had died, the reason Arman had never actively searched for her or Zen after the explosion, the fact that her contracts had been cancelled. Something that only happened with the imprisonment or death of the key holder. As long as he still had that hope no matter how illogical it was Arman wouldn't dare even think of starting another relationship, it wouldn't be fair to whoever he was with if he was still holding out hope for her deceased wife to turn out to be alive.

When Kaleb had been younger Arman had been glad that part of his job as a Boscan Ambassador had been learning how to guard his mind from intrusion. It kept Kaleb and his other children worrying about him and his crazy hopes and dreams. Kaleb had never tried to push deeper into Arman's mind respecting that with his job there were things he had to keep private. All his son asked was that Arman kept his mind open just enough that Kaleb knew he was safe, and able to link to any family conversations immediately if there was a problem.

Ganier would have loved all the children. Farron her first born and the child she had got to spend the most time with, had followed in his footsteps. Arman had no doubt that Farron would one day become even more famous then Arman had gotten during his career. His only regret with his eldest son was that Farron had so few memories with his mother, and sometimes Arman wondered if that was why Farron hadn't met that special someone to spend the rest of his life with yet. Part of his concern was because he was a t the age where he wanted Grandchildren while he could still enjoy them, but mostly he just wanted all of his children to find lasting love like he had for the short time his wife had been alive.

Zen was still adjusting even after the last three years. During that time he had come far, but he still wasn't good at intimacy with anyone. Zen was able to share pleasure with anyone he found attractive, but he didn't even try to date. Thinking he was too damaged to really have a proper relationship. Arman wasn't going to push Zen because of the hell his son had been through, and because he knew Zen needed time to find out who he was without being the Dark Eagle Gladiator of Pergrande. Needed time to figure out what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. The Academe Celeste had been good for Zen to learn a bit more about his magic, the little that had been recorded over time, and had helped him become a little closer to people making a few friends there. And Zen really enjoyed being part of White Sea, but he wasn't sure if being a guild mage was what he wanted for his life. Before Emzadi had disappeared Zen had been looking into going to a different school, try some different courses to find at least a hobby he enjoyed. His magic had been too much of his life since he had gotten back, and he wanted to find something else to do in his down time.

Kaleb of course was the Master of White Sea. He took on a lot of responsibility and was currently running himself ragged. Trying to keep his family connected and reaching as far as he could with his magic trying to connect with Emzadi. At the same time he was doing that he was still doing most of the running of White Sea, although his aide Thane had been doing his best to lighten the workload as much as he could. Arman was almost at the point of asking Cristoff to knock his older brother out for a few hours just so he could get some rest, but he had held off for the fear that during those few hours Emzadi would get into Kaleb's range and they would miss their chance of bringing her home.

Other then running himself ragged Kaleb had done so well for himself. Usually, when there wasn't a family emergency driving him insane, Kaleb was level headed and knew how to keep his workload from affecting his health. He had done much for White Sea since becoming the Master, and showed that despite his age he had earned his place. Dark Guilds were dealt with quickly by his elite team, that he had put together in his first year as Master, believing there should be a few teams dedicated to hunting down dark guilds exclusively. Plus his tech magic advances had made his guild run even smoother, and brought a lot of income to White Sea when other guilds bought it to be installed. Whenever Kaleb wasn't busy as the Master he was working on some new tech that would better improve both his guild and country.

Cristoff was taking Emzadi's disappearance better then his siblings. His lunar magic helped keep him calm at any time other then a full moon. If it hadn't been for Cristoff they would have never been able to make his other children rest, and Cristoff had helped him sleep a few times as well. As a decorated Knight Cristoff didn't have as much free time to help look for Emzadi as he wanted, and he had to keep going on jobs for the palace to make sure no one suspected anything. His lunar magic made sure Cristoff was in high demand for many different types of missions. To ones that needed a powerful attack mage, to a healer, and even diplomatic missions in difficult climates. With how successful Cristoff's magic made him it was a surprise Arman ever got to see him.  
Bickslow had made a life for himself back in Fiore. And other then that hiccup with Laxus his son had done very well for himself. His team was the most requested one in Fiore, and it had been warming that they had come with Bickslow during this trying time, and Arman knew Laxus would have come as well if he could have left his guild. Despite Bickslow's joking demeanor Arman knew out of all his children Bix was the one who wanted to find a life partner the most. Someone who could accept his magic and who he was without wanting him to change, unfortunately the only people who accepted him completely there had been no spark with. Bix's magic made it harder for him to connect with people since seeing their souls made him know what type of person they truly were deep down, and it seemed to have really affected his son's dating life.

Emzadi his precious missing girl had such a hard life. As the only Adult female dragon slayer she had a lot of challenges. Her magic was fundamentally different then male slayers, and so was the mating process for her. Plus she had to learn this all herself, Nurem had unfortunately not known any female dragon slayers in her long life, and could only tell Emzadi how the actual dragon females reacted to certain things. None of the had been prepared when Emzadi had accidentally killed her two suitors when they tried to claim her during two different mating seasons. His daughter now didn't even dare look for love believing she would just kill any man who tried to mate with her. They didn't even really know how the mating process would truly work for her. Dragon magic had affected Emzadi's entire life and had taken much from her, and he was just glad she hadn't turned completely bitter. There had been difficulties with White Sea for a while, but they had been able to get the law on Emzadi's side because her dragon magic was completely in control at times. Males were warned if they wished to even think of courting her they could die, and Emzadi wasn't considering responsible.

With her missing he couldn't help but wonder if maybe everything had finally gotten to her and she had run away. If that was the true reason she had disappeared, and that her haywire emotions had been due to that decision. Emzadi's personal life hadn't been the greatest, and her destructive magic made it so she had to constantly be in control during missions and even then she couldn't always keep herself from damaging something when she had to protect herself. Her magic did make her a great dark mage hunter though and made clean up easier in some situations. But if she had truly left of her own violation, Arman wished she could explain why she couldn't just confide in him and her siblings the way she had done her entire life. Hopefully if that was the case they could work through it and Emzadi would be happy at home again.

Vander was his wild child, but with Vander's magic he had to be in even more control then all of his siblings combined. Even though Vander never spoke of it Arman knew Vander still felt horrible about what had happened to his clan when he was a child, the one and only time the voids had taken over. As a shadowquip mage Vander was a rarity and just like Zen the only mage of his kind Arman currently knew of. It just killed him that his son had been made a Blood Hunter, but it was a perfectly respectable career and there had been nothing Arman could do to make it better. Although his son had been watched closely by Kaleb and Cristoff just in case the void shades tried to get through any cracks his job could make in his control, it would be the only way Arman would be able to easily get Vander out of the blood hunters. Yet Vander still caused trouble wherever he went, constantly seducing people he shouldn't, virgins seemed to be his favorite. It seemed like half of Arman's diplomatic missions had been caused by his youngest son, but at the same time it gave Arman hope that being a blood hunter wasn't destroying the sensitive soul he knew Vander had. Out of all his children Vander would be the least likely to ever settle down, he liked variety too much, and had never had a lasting relationship that could have ended with him promising himself to someone.  
Then finally there was Xally sweet Xally. She was the least powerful magic wise of her siblings, but she had never seemed to care. There had never been a hint of jealousy from her to her older siblings. Instead she had found a career as a doctor using her water magic to speed up healing in some cases, and her water magic was the deciding factor that had saved many lives that would have otherwise been lost. And of course her career was the most stable and made it so that Xally was the child he was most likely to see.

As the baby of the family Emzadi's disappearance had hit her the worst. Xally couldn't even work, Cristoff ended up helping where he could at her hospital, none of them being able to explain what was going on with Xally. His youngest had to take a leave of absence because she couldn't stand being away from her family right now. Not even her deep drive to help people could tear her away. Nothing would until she saw Emzadi standing before her and checked her over herself with Cristoff's help. So they all took turns staying with Xally knowing she was much too vulnerable on her own right now.  
He was trying to be strong for his children, but he didn't know how to be. How to show them that everything would be alright that they would eventually find Emzadi. It seemed whenever his family needed him he wasn't around. Perhaps it was time for him to consider retirement. Next time he had to be there from the beginning. Not just in the aftermath. He should have learned his lesson with Garnier and Zen, and he could only pray that Emzadi's fate would be better then his wife's.

* * *

Traveling with Lucy had taught Emzadi a lot about her own magic. It was a mystery how Lucy knew things about female dragon slayers that her siblings and father had never been able to find, but Emzadi was glad. If Bix had just introduced her to the blonde sooner she might have been able to understand why her magic couldn't mate with just anyone. According to Lucy unlike a male slayer, a female couldn't mate with anyone other then her mate, because the dragon soul within her could only ever match with her mate or she could take male dragon slayers as consorts. Something that didn't really appeal to her since it could mess with their own ability to find their mates. An adult female slayer could mess with males who weren't her kin and keep them from recognizing their mates, and if a male slayer was the mate of a female he wouldn't know until the female knew and was ready to mate.

"Wendy must be glad to have such a fountain of information available to her, all of the dragon slayers in your guild must."

"They don't know. I was planning to tell Wendy in a couple months before she has her first mating cycle."

It shocked Emzadi. Here Lucy was opening up to her so much about what she knew about dragons and dragon slayers, and she hadn't shared this information with anyone in her guild. No wonder Bix hadn't tried harder to introduce her to Lucy he didn't realize how much Lucy could have helped her. Yet it also didn't make sense to her, what reason could Lucy possibly have to hide her knowledge, did it have to do with how Lucy knew as much as she did. Was Kaleb right to suspect something was strange with her? What secrets was Lucy Heartfilia hiding and what did they have to do with dragons?


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Hellspawn! Of fucking course Erik would be stuck having to fight the damned creatures that were immune to his magic. He couldn't leave though or even bloody retreat he was protecting three little girls and their baby brother who the Hellspawn had been intent on making their lunch. So he kept fighting despite being out numbered twenty to one by the foul creatures. Knowing this would be different then when he was a child he would get the children to safety or die trying. They were clinging to his back, backed up against a cliff to make sure the Hellspawn couldn't sneak behind him. He had just been heading to Bosco to get a new order of Havati venom from his contact, a simple task, when he had seen them and children had always been Erik's weak spot. Anyone under ten he had always done his best to protect.

Blood was dripping from his arm from the teeth of the Hellspawn closest to him, it had grabbed him when he had pulled the oldest girl out of it's way when he had come upon them. Already the wound was turning black, the one poison he couldn't absorb safely, and probably the only poison that would ever be able to kill him. It was making him weak. And since Hellspawn had no soul he couldn't use his magic to predict what they would do next. For once he was at a disadvantage that he might not be able to fight through. Bosco was so close, but so far at the same time. He knew White Sea could kill Hellspawn, but he had no way to get to them without abandoning the children, and no one he could call on his comm who could get him help before it was too late.

Erik Vrtra was finally going to die. It fucking sucked he had so much he still wished to do. Things he had never thought he could ever have. He had been searching for his mate wanting that connection that no one else could give him. There was so much he wanted to accomplish, but he hoped that at least if this was his final moment the children could get away. Preparing himself for a last ditch effort the defining moments of his life flashed before his eyes.

_Erik Vrtra wasn't going to let these monsters go after his mommy. His inner dragon was snarling and wanted to tear these men to shreds, his mommy was pregnant and she wasn't a dragon queen or even a dragon female. She wasn't strong enough to protect them when she was expecting his baby sister. So it was Erik's job to protect her until daddy could come and save them all. Daddy was really strong he'd be able to protect them even if he wasn't a dragon, he could even get Erik to eat his vegetables something no one else could do, Erik didn't like the taste, but daddy wouldn't let him have any poison for dessert if there were veggies left on his plate._

_His magic wasn't really strong yet, but his poison could still be lethal and so could Cubellios's she was fighting right at his side. Daddy had gotten her for him from Daddy's clan, he had left his clan to marry mommy. Daddy said that's what you did when you fell in love, but when Daddy found out about Erik's magic he had asked if they could adopt Cubellios because Erik and her could form a really strong bond. Cubellios's kind of snake was rare and called a Havati, and her venom was the best poison Erik had ever eaten. She was like another sister to him and she was his bestest friend. As a snake, which in Erik's mind was a distant cousin to his dragon nature, she felt the same protective tendencies. She wanted to protect the future hatchling with Erik._

_They tried so hard to keep the men away from mommy even though she had tried to scream at Erik to run. He couldn't leave mommy and his baby sister aside. Even though she hadn't been born yet Erik already had a strong kin bond in place with her, and everything in him demanded he do everything in his power to protect her. It was his job to protect her, but he couldn't do it. Maybe if he was older and stronger he could have, but he was just a little boy still learning how to use his magic. Neither of his parents were dragons, the Draculi clan didn't even know how Erik had been born with a dragon lacrima already part of his soul, and he had never had a proper teacher. Although his dragon soul talked to him often, she was really nice if a bit prickly at times and taught him what she could, but she was only a young dragonling too. She had never learned how to use all her magic and had never met any dragon slayers so they just did what they could to learn how to use his magic._

_"Erik!" His mommy screamed and then the men took him away. They threw something at mommy and it hit her in the side, narrowly missing the hidden baby bump of his little sister. That was the last Erik had seen of his mommy. They hadn't wanted her and he didn't even know if she had lived._

* * *

_"You don't have to sit alone. Crime Sorceire has been pardoned and you guys helped us fight Zeref and Acnologia."_

_Erik's head snapped up at the words. He had heard footsteps, but hadn't heard anything other then a strange music, so he had just believed whoever had been behind him was so drunk even their soul was behaving weirdly. Instead he was faced with Fairy Tail's light. Lucy Heartfilia definitely wasn't drunk, but Erik couldn't hear anything else from her. How had he never noticed that he could only hear music from her soul, a sad pitched song that held a haunting melody, but was also soothing to his tortured mind._

_It was odd not being able to know what someone was thinking. Erik didn't know if he liked it. After all the Light had more to hate him for then most of her guild members, she had been the one to nurse Scarlet back to health before they had gotten Wendy to heal her arm after he had poisoned her. Then he had kidnapped her using her own childhood doll to do it, and he had planned to allow her to sleep for a hundred years to wake to everyone she loved being gone. Despite having turned over a new leaf and realizing what he had done was wrong, Erik hadn't ever thought he would get this girl's approval. Everyone in Fiore knew that to gain Fairy Tail's favor the fastest thing to do was become allies or friends with the guild's light, and heaven help you if she didn't like you because then almost every guild in Fiore would turn against you. Erik knew people thought she was weak, but even without being able to hear her he could sense the power rolling off of her soul in waves, and he wondered why no one else in the guild seemed to realize just how powerful she really was._

_"Why are you talking to me?!" He was gruffer then he meant to be, but Erik had lost his filter a long time ago._

_"I believe in second chances where they are due. I'd like to be your friend Erik, come and see me if you decide you would like that to."_

_In that instant Erik's dragon named her kin. She was a haven and wasn't looking at him in fear or thinking that he was dangerous like most of the people in her guild. She was like star light, but she shined brighter then any star in the sky._

_"I'd like that Starshine."_

* * *

_The day Erik was kidnapped by the Tower of Heaven slavers that was what went through Erik's mind the moment his eyes landed on the blonde woman in front of him. She was the spitting image of their mother other then her orange eyes. His dragon was purring the moment they spotted her, the little hatchling they hadn't even known had survived all those years ago when he was kidnapped to become a slave in service of Zeref, Erik was so glad he had been a part of taking that damned devil down. Never had he thought he would ever get the chance to meet her, even the rare times he had wondered what would have happened to her if their mother had survived._

_The Guild mark on her arm had Erik glad they hadn't met a few years ago. If they had met when he was still a dark mage under the control of Brain then despite being Kin they would have been enemies. Now though he proudly held the mark of Fairy Tail, something Starshine had helped him earn. But his baby sister was a member of White Sea, a guild even Brain had made sure to stay clear of since they rarely had mercy when it came to dark mages and none when it came to dark guilds, and considering the magic rolling off of her she had somehow been implanted with a dragon lacrima as well. An adult female slayer who would one day most likely become a dragon queen._

_"Who are you?" she asked her voice and soul both singing at such a pleasant level, even more soothing to him then Starshine. He knew she was wondering why her dragon was instantly purring after meeting a male dragon slayer that to her mind was a stranger, and why the word Kin kept going through her mind. She knew what it had meant she had many kin, all members of the family who had adopted her after their parents had died. He was sad to hear they were gone, but he had mourned them a long time ago believing he would never be able to see any of his family again. To be able to meet her was both a blessing and a curse._

_"Cobra the Poison Dragon Slayer of Fairy Tail."_

_He knew that wasn't really what she wanted to know, but he didn't know how to explain to her who he really was. Already he saw the recognition in her eyes and could hear her thinking he was an ex-dark mage. Emzadi, she thought her name and it fit her perfectly, wasn't sure what to think of him. Her brother Kaleb occasionally helped rehabilitate dark mages who weren't too far gone, but she also knew that Cobra had been a member of the Oracion Seis one of the worst dark guilds in history. Then again she also knew that Fairy Tail had fought him before so there had to be some good in him if they had allowed him to become a member of their guild considering the personal history between them._

_Could he tell her he was her brother? Or should he leave it. She had clearly been well taken care of her entire life, and she had at least one brother she thought fondly of. A brother, who considering the name, had to be the Master of White Sea Kaleb Pradesh. Meaning she had a large family already. A family Erik knew was lighter then he could ever hope to be. Emzadi already had people who could love her, she didn't need him in her life, but he just couldn't bring himself to leave. Part of it was because his dragon was demanding he tell her who he was, and another part was that he just couldn't stop starring at her. Taking her in. Proud of who she had become even if her entire life had been spent without him. Did she know she had a biological older brother or had their parents never told her?_

_"Oh. Well it was nice meeting you Cobra."_

_He watched with sad eyes when she turned and walked away. This had been his chance to get to know his little sister, but he was too prideful to ask her to stay. To come up with any reason to convince her to talk with him even a little longer. But he also thought it was for the best. She had a better life without him being a part of it. He tended to ruin the lives of those around him and hadn't even been able to protect Cubellios so he had no right staying in her life. But now that he knew she was alive he also knew he would keep tabs on her, to make sure she stayed safe, and if anything happened to her he would protect her. Never allowing her to find out who he really was._

_Luckily he still hid his dragon clan tattoo's or he wouldn't have even had a choice if deflecting her. He might have still been able to convince her he didn't know her, but with the clan tattoo's she most likely would have realized he was one of the kidnapped children. Erik knew Bosco hated the slave trave and did everything they could to rescue any children taken, but even with White Sea they couldn't always be everywhere at once, and some children never found their ways home._

_Starshine was really the only human woman who had ever been happy around him. She was his kin too and he knew she would berate him if she ever knew he had met his sister without trying to get to know her. During a weak moment he had told her how he had been taken to the Tower of Heaven and cried on her shoulder. No one else knew about her and even if Starshine would give him trouble whenever she found out, because eventually she ripped all of his secrets from him, she would stay on his side and not tell Emzadi who he really was. Of course that didn't mean that she wouldn't try to get him to that place, but she wouldn't force him. Just use logic to convince him that her way was the best. Usually Starshine got her way, but this was one thing even he wouldn't give her._

* * *

Lucy and Emzadi had been getting closer to the Boscan border when she had felt a tugging on her soul. It was stronger then anything she had ever felt before and was leading her slightly to the left of where they had been traveling. "Chez bank to the left!" She screamed she didn't know who was down there, but she knew they were important to her, and whoever it was was on the verge of giving up and dying.

As the trusty spirit banked and drove faster Lucy could scent the blood in the air and by Emzadi's gasp beside her she knew the other woman felt it as well. There was also a familiar foulness in the air. Creatures she hadn't fought in ages, but that's foulness she could never forget. Hellspawn creatures the exact opposite of her. Probably one of the things that might be capable to permanently killing her, or at the very least making her restart her cycle once again. But just like they could seriously harm her she could harm them.

Allowing her eyes to become sharper as she channeled power from her phoenix abilities Lucy gasped as she saw Erik down below her. He was surrounded by a hoard of Hellspawn, four young children huddled behind him, obviously being protected from being the Hellspawn's next snack, and he was faltering. His arm was the only noticeable injury Lucy could see, but she knew not even Erik's abilities as the poison dragon slayer could work against Hellspawn. Only strong Celestial Magic and Phoenix magic worked against them.

"Stay here Emzadi, only come to help if there's no other choice, your hatchlings are more important."

Lucy didn't give Emzadi a chance before she threw herself off of the Chariot. She didn't have enough control to use her wings without risking burning everything around her, so instead she just allowed her magic to pool in her feet so that she would be able to land without injury. As she fell Lucy took her earrings out of her ears summoning the swords that had been created for her a thousand years ago to make it safer for her to fight Hellspawn. The earrings changing shape until Lucy was holding two silver blades with pure white wings as hilts and blue gems placed in the middle of each wing.

Those stupid Hellspawn would be sent back to Hell where they belonged for attacking her kin.

* * *

When he was certain it was over, that all he could do was try to make them follow him and leave the children, he could feel a familiar aura over head. It was shocking when he felt that powerful soul dropping from the air above him. Twin blades in her hands as she cut down two Hellspawn with a brilliant flash of light that completely disintegrated them. Yet the shock wave didn't even leave a scratch on anything else around them.

"Starshine, what the hell?" he gasped not believing she was here. That his luck was that good. Nor could he believe she was using swords. He had never seen Starshine use any weapon other then her whip, but she was wielding the twin blades like a master, maybe even better with her blades then Scarlet. Her celestial magic was stronger then he had ever thought. Erik had known she was strong, but he didn't think she would have enough power to disintegrate two Hellspawn at once. Creatures that usually needed three Celestial Magic users to even scratch one, let alone kill.

"No time to talk, just protect the children, and watch my back."

Her long blonde hair was flying behind her, but oddly enough there were also streaks of red in her hair that seemed to multiply the more Hellspawn she took down. She was like a warrior angel as she tore the Hellspawn down, but she wasn't immune to them either. Every time she took one out another one took an opening to scratch her with it's claws. He could smell the foul poison polluting her otherwise natural light, and it was so wrong, but there was nothing Erik could do. All he could do was use his poison whip to keep some of the creatures back well Starshine fought. Try to keep her safe, so that she could get them all out of there.

Blood was coating her body, both her own and the foul black blood of the Hellspawn. The black blood causing blisters of foul poison to pop up all over Starshine's body. Even her own flowing blood was starting to take on a green tinge from what the poison was doing to her. Starshine's breathing was becoming more labored even as she kept on fighting. It didn't slow her down instead it made her fight more fiercely. The way Starshine did everything. She was a champion who doubted her own strength half the time. And she was also one of the only people Erik couldn't get a complete read on. Once in a while he could hear whispers of her thoughts, but most of the time he could only hear the pure sorrow filled melody of her soul.

At the same moment that Starshine took down the last of the Hellspawn, she collapsed. Her breathing labored and Erik was terrified of losing her. With any other poison he could have sucked it out and bought her a little more time, and if they had been in Fiore he would have brought her to Wendy. But Wendy was back at the Guild and there was no way Starshine had enough time to make a trip that would take at least a week if not two with her health.

 **"Lucy!"** A familiar voice shouted from above. Erik watched as two flying goats pulled a chariot down from the sky, he hadn't even seen any sign of it before it appeared above him. Sitting beside the driver of the chariot was Emzadi looking scared out of her mind, and very noticeably pregnant but he couldn't focus on that right now Starshine needed him too much.

The four children were still by the cliff watching with wide scared eyes as the chariot landed in front of him. It seemed they really had taken to him because they ran to hide beside him, the oldest girl who was probably about six carrying her younger brother in her arms, as she huddled next to him. After everything they had just been through with the Hellspawn Erik was surprised they hadn't fainted in fear, but instead they just stayed by his side waiting to see what he would do.

"Hello again Emzadi. Starshine needs immediate medical attention, doesn't your guild have a major healer?"

"Yes. There should be enough room for all of us. Hop on."

Emzadi's soul was in turmoil, but her face didn't even show it as she moved over. The youngest two girls hopped into her lap, deciding they could trust her since Erik clearly knew her. With as much gentleness as he could Erik picked Starshine up making sure to cover her with his cloak as he moved her knowing she needed the extra warmth. The spirit holding his hand out for the oldest girl to grab and she moved into the back seat of the chariot holding her brother tightly.

"Being in the sky could get her too cold, we'll have to travel on ground," he told Starshine's spirit. Watching as the spirit nodded. They were lucky he hadn't disappeared when Starshine passed out, Emzadi especially could have been seriously injured, having been in the sky, if not killed.

Only Starshine would somehow end up in the company of his little sister without even knowing it. He was glad Starshine had been able to save him, but he was terrified that she would die for him. When would she learn to stop sacrificing herself for other people? That her life was just as important? That her death would destroy so many people?

As they traveled quickly on the ground Erik prayed with all he could that Starshine wouldn't die. The world couldn't lose her light not now when it was still adjusting from so much darkness being destroyed. She hadn't even found someone to love and Starshine had so much love to give, even if for some reason she was terrified of it.

 _"Don't die Lucy, I couldn't bare it,"_ he whispered into her hair as he silently urged her spirit to go faster. Even though he already knew with the loyalty the spirits had to her that he would be going as fast as he possibly could.

* * *

Cristoff Pradesh had been heading back to the guild after having forced Xally to go back to sleep. His youngest sister had tried to get Minda to take her to where Emzadi had last been seen again, and planned to search all on her own. Her fear making her irrational. He had been lost in thoughts about his other sister's disappearance when a familiar smell came into his nose, but it was drenched by blood so he couldn't recognize it. He barely had time to move out of the way as a chariot led by two winged goats practically flew past him, the passengers in it a blur as they headed directly to White Sea. Having smelt the blood he figured it was a Guild member who needed immediate medical attention, but he knew he couldn't catch them on foot, so he moon shifted directly to the balcony on the guild.

'Kaleb we have an incoming medical emergency to the guild, get everyone to clear out of the way, I don't know who it is there was too much blood. I'll get the infirmary ready.'

'On it.'

Running downstairs to the infirmary Cristoff made sure he had a sterile environment ready. With how much blood he had smelled and the offness in it he knew he couldn't heal everything on his own. So he made sure he also had medical supplies ready. He wasn't as good at normal medicine as Xally and wished he hadn't just put her to sleep. If she hadn't been so exhausted and distraught he could have sent someone to wake her and get her here, but with how she was right now she wasn't able to help. Hopefully he could help the incoming patient completely on his own.

* * *

Suddenly the guild was in complete chaos, Kaleb had ordered everyone to clear a path to the infirmary without any explanation and gone to stand by the door. Bix didn't get it until he could feel a flickering soul nearby and almost collapsed as he powered all of his magic into recognizing it. Cosplayer was somehow in Bosco and on the verge of death.

When the doors burst open Bix just watched in shock for a moment as Kaleb came running into the guild leading the way for Erik who was holding a blood soaked Cosplayer in his arms. The more shocking part then both of them being here was the fact that Cosplayer was covered not only in her own blood, but the black blood of Hellspawn. How had she come to be fighting Hellspawn of all things? He knew her soul would be an incredible lure to them, but with her state and the blood on her barely being dry it was obvious it had happened recently, and if Hellspawn were this close to Bosco an alarm should have gone off. White Sea should have been called to deal with them before they could become a problem.

Darting after them Bix forgot for a moment that his sister was missing. All he could think of was the fact that Cosplayer was dying. He had never felt her soul so weak and he needed to be by her side. No matter what Bix would make sure Cosplayer wouldn't die on them. If he had to he would force her soul to stay in her body until Cristoff could heal her. Even if it could cause him major problems later on he couldn't let her die. She was too important to so many people. Important to him.

'Damn it Cosplayer what self sacrifice have you made this time.'

* * *

Arman had been dragged to help Cristoff in the infirmary. His son hadn't had the time to explain what was going on only that a severely injured person was on the way to the guild. But nothing could have prepared him for the sight that came into the infirmary. Kaleb had practically sprinted down the hall closely followed by a maroon haired man with a ragged scar over one eye clutching a blonde woman who was almost entirely soaked in blood. Arman's sound magic could pick up bits and fragments the soul sounding strangely familiar to him, but at the same time the haunting music melody underneath all of her thoughts was something he knew he had never heard before.

As an Ambassador of Bosco it had been required of Arman to also do courses on healing, just in case he was ever attacked in a hostile environment.

Everyone who worked with him had different levels of skill some learning more then others, but all of them were able to handle battle wounds. But he had never seen something this bad not even from Pergrande.

Hellspawn had always been a different type of monster. Their blood itself could kill someone if the poison in their claws didn't do it first. Only holy Boscan armor could hold up against their blood, and was designed that it would completely close around someone to prevent Hellspawn blood from being able to penetrate anywhere. To prevent the very thing that had happened to this woman. Her skin was covered in horrible blisters from the black blood, more popping up everywhere the longer that foul blood remained on her. Not even thinking Arman found himself requipping into his own armor before he grabbed a cloth and started scrubbing down the woman's skin. He knew there was nothing Cristoff could do until she was completely clean of the dark blood. Knowing how much pain she must be in even though she was unconscious Arman was as gentle as he could be considering how hard he had to scrub for the sticky Hellspawn blood to give way.

As he cleared more blood from her he had a sudden feeling like her appearance was wrong. Like there was something hiding beneath her outer shell. Her hair was gold spun blonde with streaks of red throughout almost like a sunset was alive in her hair, and her skin was perfect in the spots the blood hadn't damaged. There was no signs of any scars as he cleaned her up more. Despite feeling like her soul was familiar he had never see her before, but at the same time her face looked so familiar in a way that haunted him because he couldn't place it.

The moment he cleaned an area he saw Cristoff start to work on it trying to heal this woman. A woman who even in such agony was beautiful a rare beauty that would be a painful loss to the world if she didn't survive this. In Bosco a woman like her would be coveted and fought over. He knew from her soul that was even now dimming that her beauty wasn't only skin deep.

'I guess I really am dying this time Tessa. I'm sorry.' Her soul cried out as it seemed to flicker to a different frequency back and forth, her thoughts so jumbled that was the only thing he could hear.

Arman wanted to soothe her to convince her she wasn't going to die. At the same time he also wanted to find whoever Tessa was. If she was apologizing so deep in her soul they had to be important to her and might be a comfort to her in this difficult time. Yet he couldn't leave her side. Something had him stuck to her as he helped his son care for her.

"I can't. I can't heal her!" Cristoff sounded shell shocked and Arman wanted to scream at his son, ask what he meant he couldn't heal her. But he had already suspected it. Cristoff had never been good at healing Hellspawn injuries, they were usually what led to fatalities in White Sea.

"Bickslow can you keep her stable enough?"

"Yeah, maybe, but dad..."

Arman didn't let his son reply. He knew there was only once chance for this woman. "Then we'll take her to the immaculate light chamber, it's cleared blood and wounds from Hellspawn before on the Knights."

Altiene owed him this at least. For not looking deeper after Zen was kidnapped and Ganier killed. And even if he didn't his old friend wouldn't let a rare beauty die if he could help it. So they strapped her down on the infirmary bed and his children walked with him towards the housing of the immaculate light. He just prayed he wasn't wrong about it being able to help her. It was so odd that he felt so strongly about a woman he had never met, but he just needed to help her. She could not die. And maybe he would find out why when she finally woke up once they had her fully healed.

* * *

Knowing that Lucy needed help more and that her presence would only distract her siblings from helping the kind hearted woman, Emzadi had gotten Chez to stop the Chariot at a corner away from the guild. "Run towards the guild with her, I can't be there right now, or she might not get help in time." Cobra didn't even hesitate running around the corner.

Once she knew he was safely inside and that Lucy had the best chance she could, Emzadi took the children and went to the tunnels that led to the guild master's mansion. Most people didn't know they existed, but when he became Master Kaleb made sure all of his siblings had alternate ways to get in and out of the guild safely. Especially when a mission was sensitive and they couldn't risk anyone spotting them leave.

It wasn't that she was trying to stop the confrontation she knew her family would have prepared once they were sure she was safe, but Lucy could die. And since Emzadi was pregnant she hadn't been able to help. Being in the sky she hadn't realized how bad Lucy was injured, and watching from above Lucy had seemed to be holding her own against the Hellspawn. Lucy might die because she hadn't been able to fight beside her. Emzadi's solar magic worked wonders against Hellspawn, but she hadn't even been able to offer air support because Lucy had made sure Chez stayed far enough back that Emzadi's health wouldn't be in danger.

Sneaking through the tunnels Emzadi prayed with everything she had that Kaleb wasn't in his mansion at the moment. If Kaleb knew she was home everyone would know. And Cristoff especially needed to be kept undistracted. Emzadi knew her family had probably been worried sick about her. Especially after Bix had slept for seven years the family had gotten closer and more concerned when one of them was awol. It made even trying someone to date hard, not that she had thought she was ready for an actual relationship again, she wasn't even sure if she was ready for her mate yet.

The little ones were clinging to her tightly and realizing that the oldest girl was starting to struggle Emzadi carefully lifted the little boy into her own arms instead. She wondered what her children would look like. Surely not as exotic as these children. The little boy had black hair with light blue streaks and his eyes were purple with a ring of silver around the Iris. The clothes he was wearing were made out of strange fabric Emzadi had never seen before and a pale green feather with red tips was in his hair. The other two girls were identical twins and their eyes were the same as their brothers, their hair was bright red however and they each had the same type of feathers braided into their hair, their feathers were a pale blue with purple tips. And the oldest girl had long purple hair that would probably be down to her back when it wasn't braided, the same eyes as her siblings, and she had a small feather in her hair, this one was a mixture of red, orange, yellow, blue, green, purple, and white. It was also clearly much older then the feathers in her siblings hairs, but it showed no sign of fraying even if the dimmer colors showed it's age.

They didn't have the same darker skin tones most Boscans had, but as she listened to the little girls whispering they were speaking in the lilting tones that Bosco was known for. Their words were a little hard to understand however, the language they were using was a much older variation of the current Boscan. Yet they were from no clan Emzadi had ever heard of and none of them had any clan tattoo's that Emzadi could see.

* * *

Everything was fuzzy for Lucy she had felt herself fall into the darkness. This time it felt different from before her body wasn't starting to flame up so that her cycle could start again from the beginning. Instead she felt all the pain leave her and like she was about to start floating. Was she finally going to die? After watching almost everyone she cared for die over thousands of years was it finally her turn. Was her immortal suffering finally over? But had she succeeded she couldn't remember if she had killed all of the Hellspawn. If Erik was still in danger she had to live so she could save him. He couldn't die. But no matter how hard she tried to fight she couldn't escape the darkness.

Somehow the darkness felt familiar to her like she had almost faced it once before, but Lucy could never remember being in such critical condition before. As she thought that she found images swirling around her and heard the familiar birdsong of phoenix's, the ones who had never become part human. They had more healing powers then Lucy herself did, Lucy's powers could only really heal those with strong celestial ties, but true phoenix's without a human form could heal anything with their songs and tears. Just like most clans in Bosco the true phoenix's had become the clans sacred animal and they watched over their distant cousins. Protecting them from unnatural death and in turn they made sure the little ones weren't taken by hunters.

Underneath the little phoenix's Lucy could see herself as a little girl, although her appearance seemed different, but the image was too fuzzy for her to see why. The younger version of herself was in a sick bed looking up sadly at an older boy. "It's okay Tessa I'm no scar and the fire birdies take ouchies away. I sweep like Grampy. I only sowry I leave you."

The boy in front of her looked determined as he glared at her, but with soft eyes at the same time. It was clear despite not being able to see his features how much he cared for her. But Lucy couldn't recognize him and the name Tessa meant nothing to her.

"No! You aren't going to die..." his lips still moved, but Lucy could no longer hear what he was trying to say. Instead the darkness grabbed a hold of her again and tried to drag her down. A piece of Lucy didn't want to let go though. Seeing Tessa's sadness wasn't right. He wasn't supposed to be sad! He needed to be happy. She had to show him she was ok.

Was it a memory of before? She had to have lived then because she doubted anyone could have blocked her memories of more then one cycle. And she had looked so young then. She had fought this darkness before, but at that time she had the help of phoenix song. She had to fight, but it was getting so hard. Lucy could feel her soul flickering and fading even as she felt someone forcefully holding on. A name was on the tip of her brain, but she couldn't remember it. Instead all she could think was 'I guess I really am dying this time Tessa. I'm sorry.'

* * *

Arman stayed outside the chamber of immaculate light watching in awe as orbs of light that looked like wings circled around the body of the young woman. It was odd he still didn't know her name, but seeing her gave him so many mixed emotions as if he had known her his entire life. Nothing around him other then the young woman registered and he watched as her body started to heal itself. Inside the chamber he could hear different voices singing that same haunting melody that belonged to her soul, and he could also hear a man's voice.

'You won't die yet. I knew you'd be a legal part of my family one day and your story has had too much tragedy. I never should have listened to you and left, but I can't be there in person just yet I'm too far away. Take my magic little sister and live. Let him into your heart and this time never let him go.'

The words were filled with so much emotion and Arman felt as if he was spying on a private moment. But a part of him also felt deeply jealous of whoever this man alluded would become a part of this woman's heart. It was so odd he had never felt this way about anyone since Ganier, and now he was feeling this way about a stranger. Just like when he had fallen in love with Ganier in an instant it was like he had fallen for this woman too. Even if she was younger then him he couldn't help but let her into his heart. A part of himself that he had thought had been closed off was now opening and it scared him because there was still the chance of losing this woman before the two of them even got a chance.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

Opening her eyes Lucy blinked in confusion for a moment as she was met with the most compelling eyes she had ever seen. They were a striking pale green and as she stared into them soul deep recognition went through her body. And it was as if a flood gate had opened. Memories of over twenty-five years flooded through her. Just seeing him again, seeing her Arman brought everything back.

The relief the love she felt recognizing him had Lucy acting without thought. One second she had been staring in those striking eyes and the next she had kissed him with all the love that had been hidden inside her since she became Lucy Heartfilia, the reason she never knew that she had stopped finding lovers. For a moment his lips had remained frozen underneath her and then they started moving gently at first against her own before they became hungry. As if their kiss was the first drop of water after being lost in a desert. The mere sensation was overwhelming and she wrapped her arms around his neck drawing him in closer never wanting the kiss to end. Ad their tongues dueled for dominance Arman's hand drifted to her left breast circling her nipple gently her breasts were still sensitive and the simple action made her moan. The vibration of which broke Lucy out of the kiss as she realized what she was doing and she pulled herself away from Arman pushing him away at the same time, not believing she had just done that.

Seeing shock cloud over those eyes Lucy couldn't stay there. Despite how weak she felt she found herself darting out of the bed she was half sitting in and running through the nearest door, glad to find herself in a bathroom. Bending over the bathroom she threw up what little remained in her stomach. The memories shocking her system and the pain in her head and heart were too much for her.

Why, why had they done this to her?! It was obviously the work of her father and Draco. And then they took her memories as Ganier Pradesh nee Roulet away from her, trying to hide their tracks.

How could she ever explain this to Arman? Would he even believe that she hadn't known the entire time. Could he even except finding out she was a phoenix and a human that she couldn't be one without the other? He had believed the woman he had fallen in love with had been purely human. That she had told him everything, and Lucy had told him everything from when she had been Ganier. That life had been so simple. Without her memories of thousands of years of loss and heartbreak she had been able to open up and find love. A love that had been all consuming for the few years she had with him.

Oh my god her sons! What had happened to them? She knew Arman would have taken care of them, but with if they had been killed the same day her life as Ganier Pradesh had ended. Because of everything she had been through she had never wanted children, never wanted them to follow the path they could inherit, a life of misery mostly, with love scattered throughout. If they had inherited her phoenix half, which didn't always happen in relationships between normal humans and phoenix's, they wouldn't understand why there was something different. Even if they had survived Pergrande's betrayal, if they were phoenix's as well they could have died that way.

She had so many questions that couldn't be answered. Lucy just didn't see how she could explain to Arman what had happened. If she had only been Ganier Pradesh before Lucy Heartfilia she would have been able to open up, but she had so many lives so many secrets that she had never shared even with the one person she had opened up to who hadn't known the truth about her from the beginning. Plus he had already mourned her how could she make him go through that again, if he could even accept what had happened to her.

Even though she knew Arman had the biggest heart she had ever met. There was only so much someone could take. She could finally remember the moment she had fallen in love with him and realized she would spend the rest of her life with him.

_For the first time in her life Ganier felt her heart catch in her throat as her eyes locked with the most striking pale green eyes she had ever seen. Those eyes made her fears and worries about children melt away. Somehow if he was the father she felt like she could have children, lots of them. He would protect them and her. This man would make everything right again._

_"I'm Ganier Roulet it's nice to meet you Ambassador Pradesh, Minnie speaks highly of you." It shocked her that she was able to keep her voice steady. That he couldn't hear her heart pounding in her chest had to be a miracle._

_"Please call me Arman Ganier, and Minda has talked highly about you as well. It's my pleasure to be introduced to you, Ganier."_

_As all gentlemen did when introduced to a young woman Arman took her hand in his and bent over it to give a feather light kiss to the back of her hand. The moment his lips touched her hand she felt a spark of pleasure shot through her spine and couldn't hold in the sigh._

_Everything around her fell away all Ganier could focus on was this man. The man who had finally stirred her heart. Even though she had only just met him Ganier knew she was in love with him. It just clicked into place the moment their eyes had locked, and she knew she would do anything to convince this man to give her a chance. To have him fall in love with her. To spend the rest of her life with him. Give him children. Marry him. All things she had thought she had given up on completely, things she had been certain she could live a happy life without._

_Ganier was so focused on Arman that she didn't see the heartbroken eyes of her best friend beside her. Didn't realize that Minda was giving up her own happiness for Ganier to find it with Arman. She would never learn that the man Minda had talked about all these years was Arman. Never see Minda's pain because her best friend cared more for Ganier's happiness then her own._

_"Would you join me for a dance Ganier?"_

_"I'd love to Arman."_

_As they spun around the dance floor Ganier laughed joy taking over her entire soul. For the first time in her entire life she found herself just living in the moment, enjoying the company of the man she was with, and knowing he was the One. She had finally fallen in love in only an instant. It was magical and she couldn't stop herself from bringing her lips to his in a reckless move. All Ganier knew was she needed this man like she had never needed anyone else. That he was her everything._

Even now just regaining her memories he still was her everything. He was the only one who could have broken the seal on her memories, that had probably supposed to have been unbreakable. Their love had been so strong and she wished she could go back to that. But even if he could still love her, she just didn't know if she could risk it. Risk loving him after having already lost twenty-seven years with him, knowing he would die long before she did.

Although oddly enough Arman didn't look anywhere near fifty. Instead he could pass for his early thirties. From what she could recall of the brief look she had of him before she had run. What must he think of her doing that after meeting him? Why was he even in her room anyway? Last she remembered she had been fighting Hellspawn with Erik, how had that brought her back to Arman. Back to the past that she sort of wished she hadn't remembered if only to spare herself the heartbreak.

Oh god Erik! What had happened after she collapsed? Was he alright? Had Emzadi saved the both of them and the children Erik had been protecting? Or was she somewhere else completely?

Completely terrified Lucy opened the door, almost jumping back when she found Arman standing right outside of it. "The Hellspawn extraction tends to be rough on the system. Come back and lie down I got some tea sent up, your friend will be back up in a moment. He took my sons to talk where they wouldn't disturb you. Everything happened so fast I didn't get your name. I'm Arman Pradesh, you are from the same guild as my son Bickslow, but I'm sorry I don't know your name."

Despite how calm Arman sounded the years she had known him as Ganier were newly fresh in her mind and it was obvious he was rambling. The great Arman Pradesh successful Ambassador of Bosco who even Lucy Heartfilia knew of, did not ramble. It was what made him such a good Ambassador he always knew what to say never stumbling over his words. Honestly the last time Lucy had known him to ramble was when she had told him about both of her pregnancies.

_A glow seemed to already be surrounding her as Ganier danced around the room. Minda had been able to help her secretly sneak to a clinic under the masquerade of a girl's spa day. Just because she hadn't wanted to raise Arman's hopes only to dash them. They had been trying for a year already and it had seemed like they just couldn't get pregnant. Originally they had started trying during their time as Promised and thinking that more would come later Ganier had been shocked when Arman had proposed, and they had only married a month ago. Part of Ganier had been blaming herself thinking it was because of how sure she had been as a child that she would never have children, that there was something dangerous about her having them, that maybe her body couldn't bare a child because she didn't truly want one even though she had been so certain being with Arman had changed her convictions._

_Now she was ecstatic there was still that niggling feeling at the back of her mind, but Arman would be by her side through everything and he would be an amazing father and together the two of them could learn to be amazing children. She knew Arman was impatient to have kids. Had seen him looking longingly at the children of their friends or clients when they were working through some trade agreement or another._

_Ganier knew it was hard for Arman to hear her clearly at times. He said it was like a weak radio signal that came in and out with some interference in the background, so he hadn't been able to pick up on her suspicions yet. A part of her had been denying it not believing it was real after having waited for so long, and even after the home test she didn't want to say anything until an actual doctor had told her she was really expecting._

_"If you come back this happy from a girl's spa day I should send you and Minda more often," Arman said his laughing voice making Ganier spin around a face splitting grin on her face. The joy she felt had her jumping at him wrapping her arms around him and kissing him passionately. Arman had made this all possible without him she would have never known the joy of having a tiny spark of life within her. Never known how much she truly wished to have a child of her own._

_"We're Pregnant!" She exclaimed the second she pulled away from his mouth not being able to hold the news in any longer. Arman stared at her wide eyed stammering, "you baby us," before he whopped with joy before picking her up and spinning her around the room._

_"Yes we're having a baby."_

_"We have to go to tell Mom and Teslo and Minda. Wait we need to think of names. And doctors appointments. I'll have to tell Altiene I need a leave of absence. And then..."_

_"Arman we have time," she laughed glad he was taking it so well if he sounded a little anxious mixed with his excitement._

_"You're right, you've just made me the happiest man in the world, my love."_

_Then he took her back to their bedroom intent on showing her just how happy her news had made him. Minda could wait to hear about his reaction later. Although she would probably wish Ganier had recorded it, no one would believe that The Arman Pradesh had rambled._

* * *

_Arman had just been so wonderful in the last seven months since she had realized and told him she was pregnant. He didn't complain about any of her weird food combinations or the fact that she had a bad habit of craving real Midish food in the middle of the night, he got her everything she could need, and gave her amazing back rubs when the little miracle in her stomach started to kick up a marathon. Right now he was out with Minda picking up a delivery from Altiene who was spoiling her unborn child just as much if not more then Arman was. If their house wasn't so big they would have started running out of room from the baby things the two men kept buying. So while she waited she was trying to make him a romantic dinner. It had taken ages to convince Elan that she would be fine cooking on her own, but he was still sitting at the kitchen table watching her. As if he thought this little miracle would make their way into the world in the couple hours Arman was gone._

_Ganier and Arman had decided they wanted to remain surprised about the gender of their baby until the miracle was born. Although she was already certain she was carrying a little boy and hoped he looked like his daddy. This way the girls would flock to him when he was older. She prayed he would be lucky in love the way she and his father were._

_She was just about to ask Elan to move the casserole dish into the oven when she felt a sharp stabbing pain in her stomach. Gasping she clung onto the counter looking down in shock as she felt liquid flowing down her legs. Maybe Elan hadn't been a worry wart after all then. Of course their son would want to come now when his daddy went to get him a present from his Uncle Altiene._

_"Elan we need to go."_

_"I already have your bag Ganier. Come along."_

_Two hours later only minutes after his father came rushing into the room Farron Ciel Pradesh was born. Overwhelming love flooded through her for her first born. He only had a light bit of fuzz on his head, so fine that she couldn't tell what color it was just yet, and perfect baby blue eyes that would probably change once he was older. Her baby boy was perfect and just seeing him here healthy had her crying in joy. Especially when she saw the look of awe on Arman's face as he took in their first born son and finally got to hold him._

_"Welcome to the world Farron. You are our greatest treasure," she whispered to him happily. Arman curled up into her side because she didn't want to be far from him right now.  
_

* * *

_Her second pregnancy was no where near as easy as her first. Somehow Ganier didn't even realize she was pregnant until she was three months along and the morning sickness had started. Farron had just started walking, although he had been talking for a few months, and stayed by her side. It was really helpful to both her and Arman that Farron wasn't mischievous, because the moment she had seen the healer she had been ordered on bed rest. Her second child was drawing too much magic from her and she could get sick if she pushed herself too much._

_"Do you want tea? Or food? Another blanket? Is Farron bugging you? Maybe I should put him down for a nap. Wait maybe you should sleep..." The rambling was back and even worse this time. Arman was worried for both her and their second child, and had a healer on call. He had even tried to convince Minda to stay with them until the baby was born and bring her airship so that Ganier could get to the hospital quicker if she needed to. Luckily Minda had argued with her that an airship was a little much, but she had decided to only do missions nearby so she could be called in if Arman or Ganier needed her._

_Sitting in bed was driving her insane. She wanted to be able to play with Farron and run around with him outside or play in the grass sea, but unfortunately she couldn't if she didn't want to risk her or the baby's health. Instead Farron would bring his toys in to play with her and he even tried to read her books. Farron was already a book worm at only a year and a half, and liked trying to read to Mommy and his baby sister. Arman was convinced they were having a girl this time, but Ganier knew they were going to have another baby boy._

_Only two months after Ganier found out she was pregnant she was rushed to the hospital. Already in labor and a lot of pain. Her magic levels were dangerously low and the healers weren't sure if she would be able to give a natural birth or need a c-section. All Ganier was worried about was if her little boy would be okay. The dread she used to feel long ago before she met Arman was back, and she felt like her baby was in danger, that his future was the very reason she had never wanted to have children._

_'I'm sorry. Please be okay,' she prayed as she screamed. Trying hard to bring her second son into the world. It was a long six hours, but Ganier held in there and brought Zen Pradesh into the world naturally. The moment she saw him love and fear flooded through her, and for a brief moment she had thought she saw a mark on his back that quickly disappeared. Yet just that flash made her even more paranoid and made her never want to let Zen out of her sight.  
_

* * *

Realizing she had been quiet for too long and that tears were streaming down her face Lucy tried to hide. Even if he didn't recognize her at the moment Arman had always been able to read her from the very beginning meaning he could probably still know why something was bothering her. She just couldn't explain that she had been remembering telling him when she was pregnant with Farron and Zen, remembering the days they had been born and the contrasting feelings she had.

"I'm sorry. It's just been a lot to take in." She had to be careful not to lie, but make sure he didn't realize the hidden meanings in her words, or that they weren't the entire truth. "I'm glad Erik's alright. I'm Lucy Heartfilia."

She knew he would just believe she was apologizing to him for kissing him out of the blue, she also knew he had probably believed she had mistaken him for someone else in the confusion of waking up after having Hellspawn poison flooding her system. And for now that was best. It was only lucky for her that Arman hadn't realized who she was from that simple kiss. That she had come back to herself before it had gotten too far because if her kiss hadn't given her away, her scar would have. Since she had been unconscious for who knows how long most likely the concealer she kept on it had smeared in some way making it impossible to hide if they had shared pleasure which would just make this situation even more complicated.

It was only after she replayed their conversation to make sure she hadn't given anything away that she realized that Arman had said Bickslow was his son. Had Arman found love again? If so she was happy that he hadn't mourned her for the last twenty-eight years. He deserved to be happy. Lucy had never met a man better then Arman and he had so much love to give it would be a shame if he had cut himself off after she had died. But even though she genuinely felt that way Lucy also felt a sharp stap of pain at the thought that Arman wasn't hers anymore. That another woman had the joy of being his promised, fiancée, or wife. But then again Arman wasn't the kind of man to have kissed her the way he had if he was spoken for. Especially considering how seriously Boscans took commitments. It was unlikely he had anyone else, or he had the misfortune to lose his second love the same way he had lost his first.

"Join me for tea Lucy."

It was so simple and so Arman that Lucy found herself sitting across from him. Even though she just wanted to run so that she could avoid the feeling that she should tell him that Lucy Heartfilia was just another assumed name. Legally it was hers according to the Fioran government, but they had no idea how old she was, and honestly Lucy couldn't remember exactly either. Time just seemed to blend together after a while especially during the times that she had no one to share it with.

Drinking tea with Arman again felt so familiar so right that she just wanted to jump across the table and kiss him again as if another kiss might make him realize she was his wife. See if his love for her was just as strong as hers had been for him. Even though she knew that was ridiculous when Arman loved it was with his whole heart. It wasn't his fault that he didn't know his wife hadn't really died, but that her phoenix powers had deaged her until she was an infant again, and then she had her memories of their life together sealed away. If she hadn't lived it she would think a story like that was ridiculous in real life, but would make for a good plot for a novel.

Maybe if she had all of her memories when she had first met him she would have trusted him with the truth. Or more likely she would have kept her distance despite the instant connection because history had showed her that for immortals falling in love just led to heartbreak. Even if their story had been good for a while it had ended in tragedy and probably would again if she did take this second chance the two of them had been given. What was it with his bloodline that drew her in? Arman was the first man she had ever loved, but she had still always been connected to his family line. Had it always been because she was meant for Arman? Was that the true reason she was an immortal? Or was she just trying to find a reason to convince herself to tell Arman the truth about everything.

* * *

Right now all Erik could really do was wait well Lucy rested after the magic that was drained and used to heal her in the chamber. It had been strange seeing the white orbs of light floating around her healing every injury they trusted. The giant lacrima they called immaculate light had the same sense of power that Lucy had exuded from the moment he had first met her, and it had the same songs within. Almost like Lucy herself was immaculate light.

The man who had met them outside the guild was looking at him with an odd look in his eyes, and Erik found himself feeling a probing sensation within his mind causing him to slam his shields back down. The slight grimace on the blonde man's face made it clear he had been trying to pick through Erik's mind. There was too much at stake for someone to be able to read him, and he was glad that part of Brain's training had been how to block themselves from anyone with mental abilities, blocks that had never worked against Erik's own magic. It was the only good thing that had come out of being brainwashed by Brain and being a part of Oracien Seis.

"We should talk," the blonde man came up to him. The closer look had Erik feeling small even though he was average height this man towered over him. The long pale blonde hair seemed to practically sparkle from the light being set off by Starshine, his eyes were an intriguing mix between pale gray and lavender, and he had some very nice panther clan tattoos that had somehow become white even though every clan tattoo Erik had ever seen was black. But despite his intriguing appearance that would usually have Erik try to chat this man up, Erik felt nothing and it was like an almost instant kin connection was forming between them.

"Then talk."

"Not here. Hellspawn are a sensitive subject."

"Whatever. Lead the way then."

The kin connection might make Erik react more gently, but he was still prickly around people he didn't know especially when they seemed to have a kin connection that made no sense to Erik.

Erik watched as the blonde man who still hadn't introduced himself waved to the other man who had come with them. This one gave off the smell of a dragon, was the same height as the other man although quite a bit bulkier, with black hair and dark blue eyes. His clan tattoo's were wolves and despite his calming aura Erik could sense that this man could be quite dangerous when he wanted to be. Even his inner dragon seemed to defer to this man and had instantly claimed him as kin as well. He had gone from barely any kin to six new members in one day. Seeing those children in danger had brought his protective instincts out and he had made them his kin as well.

* * *

The children still hadn't really talked to Emzadi not even sharing their names, but she had been able to convince them to at least eat a sandwich each. Considering the way they tore into them Emzadi knew they hadn't eaten for a couple of meals at least, but since they were still fairly clean she figured that they hadn't been separated from their family for long. If they even had a family and weren't orphans.

Suddenly out of nowhere the children stiffened and darted into the bathroom locking the door behind them. Jumping around Emzadi sniffed at the air trying to see if there was any hint of a threat in the air and instead she herself stiffened as she prepared herself for the inquisition. Only seconds later the youngest of her brothers oped out of the shadows dragging her into his arms before he jumped back looking down at her stomach before pulling her into his arms again more gently this time.

"Damn Emi someone's been busy. Where the fuck have you been? Do you have any damn clue how worried we have all been? We've been losing our fucking minds!"

Vander growled at her, but despite his words she could hear the true fear in his voice. Something she hadn't ever really heard in Vander's voice, as a blood hunter there were very few things that actually scared him. Losing a member of his family was one of them and she wished she had been strong enough to contact them before she got home, but it had just seemed safer for her unborn children to just come home with Lucy's help. Instead of having a ton of White Sea mages coming to her rescue which could have alerted dark guild's to her delicate condition.

"I'm sorry Van. It's a bit of a long story, that I only want to tell once."

"Oh don't worry I already made sure to tell all the entire family you're home. They should be up in a few minutes."

Emzadi paled at that. This was going to be difficult. She was also still worried about Lucy! What if Vander had called too early and Lucy wasn't stable enough for Cris to leave and he came anyway. This is why she had tried to hide! How had Vander even known she was here? No one came up here during the day. Not even Kaleb when he shared pleasure with someone, he didn't think he should take someone to the mansion if he wasn't serious about possibly pursuing a future with them saying it might give them the wrong idea. So why was Vander here? Unless if Lucy was stable and Cobra had informed them of how Lucy had come to be so injured and the fact that Emzadi had been traveling with her.

Although if everyone knew she was home why hadn't Kaleb started berating her already? Unlike the rest of her siblings he didn't have to see her in person to start making her feel terrible. Her mental walls weren't up and even when they were Kaleb could still speak to her, he just couldn't look deeper into her mind unless if he fought.

No matter the reason she just hoped her siblings didn't scare those poor children more. After they were done dressing her down she would have to make sure to ask them to send Cobra up, he might be able to calm the children down enough that they might actually tell them what had happened. Hopefully they hadn't seen their parents killed by the Hellspawn. That was an image that would haunt them for the rest of their lives if they had.

In only moments after the door opened Emzadi was being squished between every member of her family. Cobra was probably with Lucy still. Hopefully the stubborn man had at least gotten Cris to heal his arm as well. With how worried he had been about Lucy it wouldn't surprise Emzadi if he had ignored his own suffering and only focused on her. It was what she would do for any of her kin because to dragon slayers their kin was their greatest treasure.

"I've missed you." Were the first words out of her mouth after her family finally let her go.

"What happened?! Where have you been young lady?!"

Her father looked a little haggard and for some reason was dressed in his armor. The look in his eyes made Emzadi tear up, he looked so relieved and broken at the same time, why she didn't understand. She knew the relief was because she was home and safe, but what had happened to her father to put that broken look into his eyes. There was still that internal strength in his voice that had gotten her and her siblings to spill any wrong doing when they were younger, so he wasn't a shadow of the man she had left, but something was clearly haunting him.

"My instincts took over once my dragon soul realized I was pregnant. Since I was too far away from Kin and in a situation my dragon considering dangerous when she realized what was going on she tried to make the jump home, but it was too far and I found myself in a cave in mountains I had never seen before. All I could think of was protecting my young and keeping men away from me. During that time I hunted for food, but if there were men too close to me I would roar to scare them away and stay huddled in the cave until their smells faded away.

"I probably would have ended up staying in the cave until after I gave birth and the hatchlings were old enough to risk traveling with, if Lucy hadn't found me. Apparently I had scared the villagers at the base of the mountain so much that they had hired Fairy Tail to find out what was hiding in the mountains. Only Lucy came up to me however and I felt an instant connection to her my dragon naming her kin the moment I set my eyes on her because something about her felt familiar. When she introduced herself I knew she was trust worthy enough to get me home safely. Bix is always going on about the Light of Fairy Tail, how she's the best person to have in your corner when you are in a tight spot. So even though I didn't tell her anything other then my first name, which she didn't seem to recognize, she decided to risk angering her guild to bring me home.

"We were on the outskirts of Bosco near the cliffs when she suddenly had her spirit Chez the Chariot bank to the left. I thought she was insane when she jumped down from the Chariot and swords appeared out of nowhere, after only telling me to stay put unless and not to help unless if there was no other choice, and started to fight Hellspawn with Cobra. She fought so elegantly and seemed not to falter at all that I didn't realize anything was wrong until she collapsed after the last Hellspawn was killed. Then Cobra and Chez helped the children he had rescued into the Chariot and we drove her. I figured if you all knew I was home it would distract you from helping Lucy. How is she? Did she live?"

How could she not ask about Lucy before explaining everything?! It must have been because Bix hadn't looked too upset, and her family's stares had been discomforting enough that she had just started talking after her father demanded to know what had happened and where she had been.

Now they were all gaping at her. Seeming to not be fully registering what she had said. Until Vander just burst into laughter. "Only you Emi could get into such weird situations. So when can we meet the baby daddy? I've got a ton of things I need to say to him!"

"HOW IS LUCY?!" She roared. Not liking the fact that her question had been ignored. Her inner dragon was restless needing to know what was going on!

"Calm down Emi. They had to bring your friend to the immaculate light chamber, it was too much for Cris to heal. The damned idiot had put me to sleep. But she's going to be alright now. Dad even had tea with her after she woke up. The man didn't even tell Vander you were here until he was certain your friend was alright. Otherwise we would have been up here sooner."

"Thank you Xally. Sorry for snapping, but Lucy's been keeping me sane. I couldn't have bared it if she had died because my condition kept me from fighting at her side. Do you think Cobra would leave her side long enough to come see the little ones. They ran into the bathroom when Vander came in."

"I'll go get him."

"Thanks Bixy. Oh and Cris check his arm. That idiot has a scratch from a Hellspawn he probably didn't have you treat."

Yawning suddenly it was like all of Emzadi's energy had left her. It had been happening a lot lately. Lucy had said it was because the children could only get magic from Emzadi instead of both their parents, so she would be more exhausted earlier on. And that she might have to start magic supplements once they got home, if she was going to be stubborn and not contact the father.

Now Emzadi wasn't so sure if she shouldn't contact him. After having seen Lucy almost die to protect her kin she didn't know if she could keep them from him any longer. She was already half way through her pregnancy. Maybe she could get Lucy to help her talk to him. Even if they couldn't get married since she had to wait for her mate, he should at least be in their children's lives. And maybe he could help her supply them with magic so she didn't get even worse once she was further along, although maybe he wouldn't be willing since she hadn't told him who she was when they had slept together. He'd be pissed, but she couldn't hide from him. She still wasn't going to tell her family who he was however, he deserved to know he was going to be a father first.

"Get some rest sweetheart," her dad said kissing her forehead. "Cris can check on the baby's health once he gets back."

"Okay I love you daddy."

"I love you too Emzadi. Never scare me like that again."

"I promise I'll try not to."

* * *

Kaleb watched as his sister walked away to lie down. He knew he had been quiet, but he couldn't figure out how she had gotten this close to him without him being able to hear her thoughts. Even with her right in front of him he couldn't sense her thoughts. Usually he would have been afraid that meant someone else was trying to convince them they were Emzadi, by taking her image, but one thing no one could ever fake was the soul. Bix seemed to have seen nothing wrong when he had looked at their sister's soul making sure there wasn't any more damage or trauma since they had last seen her. If Bix didn't see anything wrong then she really was Emzadi, but that didn't explain why his own magic wasn't working on her. He could still hear the voices of the rest of their family.

It had been the same thing with Erik, he had gotten the name from his brother, his thoughts had been hidden in a haze and when he had tried to prop deeper the shield the man brought slamming down made it clear he wasn't behind the haze. When he and Cris had questioned the man he had told them he had come across four young children being cornered by Hellspawn. He had been fighting them, although his magic didn't work against them, so he was mainly holding them off. In his own words he would have been demon dog chow if Lucy Heartfilia hadn't shown up when she had. After that his story matched Emzadi's and just made the mystery of Lucy Heartfilia even bigger.

Yet hearing how she had risked her life to protect a guild mate had made him realize that Bix was right to trust her. That she was trustworthy, but still very mysterious. He wouldn't be hostile to her and interrogate her when they finally talked, but he would still try to get to the bottom of who she really was. No ordinary woman could have taken on that many Hellspawn. Even he with Cris's help would have struggled against that many. And then there was also the fact that Cris hadn't been able to smell her at all the moment she had been put in the chamber, as if she was made of immaculate light herself.

No one knew really what gave the magic for the immaculate light. They knew it was a celestial based magic, but Kaleb himself was the Knight with the most light in his system. Yet he knew when the stain of Hellspawn no longer clung to Lucy Heartfilia she would radiate the light in a way not even he did. Meaning with her he might finally know where immaculate light really came from. Maybe even finally be able to free the Princess from the darkness that had taken her over during the skirmish with Seven a few years ago. Nothing else he had done had worked to free her and there were less and less times that the Princess he had known since childhood made an appearance. The woman he had never admitted to anyone he loved because she clearly had feelings for Farron. His love for her is why he had never told her father what was going on, and why until Cris caught him in the aftermath of a session with her he hadn't confided in any of his family what was going on. A part of him had been hopeful that if he kept pouring his love and immaculate light into the Princess when they shared pleasure, before she started the torture, that he could free her on his own. It had seemed to be working at first, but then the darkness seemed to get stronger and her conscious moments became less frequent until they were almost none existent.

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

Fuck! Blondie had been calling every day for the last week that she had been gone, even if it was just a quick two word I'm fine before she left again. Something had happened. There was no other reason why he hadn't heard from her yesterday and still didn't get any news yet today. He should have never allowed her to leave on her own, he should have ignored her wishes and sent the dragon slayers after her, and now he was going to have to tell her team she was missing. Which would then lead to everyone in the guild knowing causing a panic that would make the guild fall apart, because everyone would stop doing missions until they heard from her.

On top of all of that he hadn't been able to get through to Bix at all to see how the search for Emzadi was going. Any call just went straight to static, the same thing with the rest of the Pradesh siblings, so he wasn't sure if they had found Emzadi or if something else was going on there too. He should have just left Titania in charge of the guild and gone to Bosco with his team. Then he wouldn't have to be dealing with all of this crap.  
Just when he was getting ready to pick up the nearest breakable and throw it at the door in frustration his comm went off. Picking it up he almost dropped it again when he saw the face staring back at him. For five minutes all he could do was just stare at her like a fish out of water, not believing she was calling him after all this time.

"Got enough staring in yet Laxus."

"Sorry," he rasped taking a deep breath, "it's good to see you're safe Emzadi. What happened?"

"That's actually why I'm calling. Don't tell Bix I called, but I need to talk to you. Can you get the next airship to Bosco, I'm at home now. It's just something I'd prefer to discuss in person, you'll understand when you get here."

"Yeah of course. I just need to deal with some things, one of my members went missing..."

"If you mean Lucy she's fine. As I said I'll explain when I see you. Call me on this number when you get here. This needs to be done away from my family, so we'll meet up somewhere."

The entire time she sounded nervous. Laxus hoped she wasn't dying, there was no other reason he could think of that she wouldn't want him to tell Bix she had called him, but it was the least he could do for her. Although how the hell had she met Blondie? It just went to show that Blondie got into the strangest situations.

Although Spitfire seemed safe and there was no point worrying about what she wanted to tell him until he saw her. Calling down to Titania he hoped she would be able to keep the guild under control while he was gone. Spitfire needed him and if he hurried he could catch the next airship out and be to Bosco in the next two or three days, considering what type of airship he was able to get passage on.

* * *

Cosplayer was acting weird again. She had seemed fully healed when Bix had gone to see her, but she was pale and withdrawn. Barely even reacting when he tried to crack a crude joke about how she looked like she had a wild night, usually she would either laugh or Lucy kick him through a wall. Not just sit there looking like her best friend had died.

When she had finally been cleared to leave the infirmary by Cris she had been about ready to leave. Not even listening when Emi had tried to convince her to stay a little longer just to make sure they hadn't missed any Hellspawn poison that the immaculate light chamber hadn't healed. Instead she had just been about to walk right out the door, not even going to say goodbye to Erik. And then Erik had walked down the stairs with the four children who had almost been Hellspawn food, and Bix knew there was no way Cosplayer could have seen the children, but she had whirled around so quickly dad had to catch her and looked at them with wide eyes. As if she knew them, but the children hadn't reacted to Cosplayer at all instead just following Erik to get some food. Suddenly Cosplayer wasn't leaving and was instead watching the children cuddled with Erik intensely, but not going anywhere near them. She was also doing her best to avoid his father for some reason which made even less sense. It was like the usually sensible Cosplayer had left the building and only a shell of her usual self was left behind.

Dad himself was acting a little strange. He seemed to keep popping up where Cosplayer was trying to hide and then she would try to figure out some reason to leave. If Bix didn't know better he would almost think his father was flirting with Cosplayer because of the look on his face and the fact that he kept touching her randomly. But there was no way his father would flirt with Cosplayer. Not that Cosplayer wasn't beautiful, but his father always tended to ignore any woman who hit on him, even Minda, so why would he suddenly start hitting on Cosplayer? What would cause him to think it was a good idea? Especially considering what Cosplayer had just been through.

'Just leave them Bix. It's entertaining to watch.'

'Do you have any idea why they are acting so strange.

'  
'Yep. Dad slipped because of shock. Apparently your friend was a little confused when she woke up and planted one on dad leading to them having a full on make out session, made enough of an impression that dad wants to get to know her better. I don't know why she's suddenly acting so strange though according to dad they were having tea together when I called him up because Erik told Vander Emi was upstairs.'

'Cosplayer's not looking for a relationship Kaleb. I love her she's a great friend, mage, and guild mate; but she will just break his heart. She's full of love, but she seems to think she doesn't need romantic love in her life.'

'Dad's a grown man, we have to let him make his own decisions even if they will lead him to heartbreak. We'll be there in the end when he needs us.'

That's what scared Bix. His father had never shown an interest in anyone romantically during their entire lives. Now he had to just pick the one woman who was probably the most commitment phobic in the entire universe. And in hurting his dad if she found out Cosplayer would hurt herself because she just couldn't stand being the bad guy in these situations. It's why she stopped faked dating and just told Mira she didn't want any relationship. Something had happened to jade Cosplayer in the past, something horrible, and with the cracks in her soul Bix didn't think anyone could help her. Not even his dad.

* * *

Damn why did that man have to be so persistent? No matter how hard she tried to stay away from Arman he seemed to be finding her at every turn. He might not physically recognize her, but it seemed like somewhere deep down he knew who she was, and still knew her just as well as he had during the past. Why couldn't he have turned into a horrible man? To make this easier on her. Instead he was still the sweet man she had fallen in love with and married. The father of her children and the man who still made her palms sweat and her heart beat faster, and he still gave her that look that made her feel like the only woman in the world. Lucy still loved him. He was the piece that had been missing her entire lonely life.

Having to run from him was making it hard for her to focus on the children. The little ones with Erik still hadn't actually spoken, but Lucy knew why they were acting so afraid. They were phoenix's away from the clan who didn't know who to trust. Erik was who they had latched on to because phoenix's and dragons always felt a connection because of the stars bonding them together.

Somehow they were connected to her past. The oldest girl had one of Lucy's feathers in her hair. Which didn't make any sense to her. The only person other then her parents who had ever had one of her feather's was Galas. Feather's were important to a phoenix and carefully guarded. If someone knew the right magic to use one feather could be used to track down a phoenix if something ever happened. Leading to parents making sure their children had their feathers braided into their hair, and the parents always carried at least one of their children's feathers with them. It didn't make sense to Lucy for the oldest to carry one of her feathers. So she had been watching them to see if they recognized her in any way. Wondering if maybe she had known them when she was still with the clan, just because they looked like children didn't necessarily mean they were children, but they didn't seem familiar at all other then their eyes. Eyes that haunted Lucy even though she couldn't quite explain why. Yet she couldn't ask them. It had been centuries since she had met another of her kind and she just couldn't figure out what to say to them.

Originally she had just wanted to go back to Fairy Tail. The longer Lucy stayed in White Sea the more chance she had at being discovered in a lie. Yet the moment she had seen those children she had known she couldn't leave until she knew what had brought them to being attacked by Hellspawn. Phoenix's rarely left the clans home, and when they did it was never in their child form unless if they were with someone in their adult form. Meaning something had happened to them to make them leave the safety of their home.

So she just sat and watched them. The more she watched the more she was convinced all four of them were on their first cycle. If they had been any older they would have been able to sense Lucy. Phoenix's couldn't hide from each other. Their inner songs always made it clear to each other where they were. Not even Gemi and Mini could copy a Phoenix convincingly because they couldn't give off the soul song. A song that evolved in each phoenix from the time of their first cycle and was uniquely theirs, a fingerprint that helped identify each other. Once a phoenix reached their seventh birthday they were taught how to listen for a soul song without opening up their soul to dangers, so that if they were ever in trouble a distress signal could be sent through their song and the closest phoenix would help. It was all Lucy could hear from the children was their distress as they tried to call out for help. Everything in her told her to go to them and comfort them, but she knew they were safe and that she was a stranger to them. Honestly Lucy didn't even really know how to act like a phoenix anymore. She had been a human for so long she hadn't forgotten what her life had been like before she had left the clan.

Yet despite that they were just scared children. Lucy couldn't leave them alone. What if something terrible had happened to the clan? What if they needed help, and the more she delayed the worse it could be? Her own fears didn't matter when the clan could be completely wiped out. They needed her. At least with them she couldn't allow her inner fear to rule over her.

"Hello little ones," she said as she sat down beside Erik. Making sure her song was projecting at a frequency that could only be heard by certain magic's. She could sense Erik's eyes on her as she forced the song to be louder causing the children to look at her in delight. Giving off little chirps of excitement in their own songs having finally found an adult who could help them.

"Starshine. What?"

"Shh. Why don't you come with me for a little while? Tell me how you came to be here?"

The oldest girl nodded. Her chirps were quite loud and she seemed to not realize it as both Lucy and Erik winced. She was just glad Erik couldn't understand what the little girl was saying. That she was glad Lucy had found them and hoped she could help. They had been away from home for three days and just wanted to get back to their mother. In her excitement she could only communicate this way instead of with the human language, but at least it made it easier to keep people from realizing how different the children were, since only a few mages in the guild would even be able to hear the chirps.

"Alright we can..."

"Erik you can't come, you need to stay here. They won't talk with you in the room. Trust me."

She knew Erik would try to protest, but the children wouldn't speak in front of others. Although Lucy doubted most people in the guild would be able to completely understand the children. The dialect they used was older then the current Boscan, and some words had evolved quite a bit. Phoenix's had been distanced from the rest of the world for so long that they hadn't gotten the technical and language advancements that most other places did. The Clan Leader and Elders would stay in touch with the current world, so they could trade supplies when needed, but for the most part the phoenix's were quite self reliant.

* * *

'Vander follow them.'

Of course he would be the one left to follow Bixy's friend. Not that he could really blame Kaleb. All the woman had done was walk up to the scared children and they had agreed to speak with her, when they refused with everyone else. Plus there was something strange about the entire group, including Lady Heartfilia. Not bad, just strange, and the voids were quiet the closer he was to them. Just being near them seemed to keep the shades he had battled all of his life at bay. That alone was enough for him to follow them without arguing with Kaleb.

The five of them had headed back into the infirmary to talk privately. Lady Heartfilia had probably sensed the wards on the area and decided it would be the safest place to carry on a private conversation, or Vander was giving her too much credit and it was the only place in the guild she had seen that was private. Although considering everything Bixy had told them about her over the years he very much doubted it was just convenience that brought her back to the infirmary.

"How did you come to be attacked by Hellspawn?"

For some odd reason Lady Heartfilia was talking to them in an ancient dialect of Boscan. Her accent however didn't seem forced and the words flowed smoothly off of her tongue. He hadn't even heard the King speak the ancient tongue this clearly, and every royal had to learn it for official ceremonies.  
When the oldest girl started to speak she had the same accent, as if she was a Boscan born in the times of old. It gave her a regal tone despite the way she stumbled over words because of her young age, although she spoke like she was twice her age. "We had been traveling with daddy. To trade supplies. Mommy was sick and he thought it would be less suspicious for a single man to trade if he brought his children along. Then we were attacked by a dark man, he felt wrong and scary. Daddy told me to take Ariqa, Nira, and Tilon and run as far away as I could. I tried to use Ariqa's feather to find mommy, but she was too far away, and then I realized the feather Daddy gave me pulsed. He said it belonged to a really old ... and that if I ever felt her presence and was in danger to try to find her. But only to follow her presence if I was in danger because she travels the world helping those in need."

He didn't understand the word she had used, nor did he understand how a feather could be used to track someone. Yet Lady Heartfilia seemed to be following the conversation easily. She even seemed a little strange when the girl mentioned the pulsing feather and the female she had been trying to find.

"What did the dark man look like?"

"I don't know. His soul was so dark it took away all his features, it was all I could see."

"It's alright little one. So the clan is safe?"

"Yes. I just couldn't find my way home. We were so far. Daddy doesn't like trading in the same places. The crops have been failing and we have been having to trade more often to feed the clan."

They were talking about a clan without giving a name, but there was no clan in Bosco that Vander had heard of who kept feathers in their hair and didn't have clan tattoos. The way they spoke though was clearly Boscan in nature even if it was older. Vander did know there were some clans that preferred staying to themselves, it was entirely possible that there was more then one clan out there that no one had ever heard of. Hopefully they were a peaceful clan since White Sea was now hosting four of their young until they could bring them home.

"What is your name?"

"Celestina."

"You can call me Lucy, I will help you find your way home Celestina. Until then my friend Erik and I will help take care of you and your siblings. Do not go with anyone other then him, me, or the kin of the female dragon soul. This is not my home, but I know they can be trusted."

He had never heard someone call dragon slayers dragon souls before. It was an odd phrase, but everything about their conversation was odd. Why couldn't Lady Heartfilia have waited to have this conversation when Farron was in closer range? Then he could have translated the ancient dialect easier, for all Vander knew he had been misunderstanding half the words even if most of the conversation made sense.

'It's fine Van. At least we know a little about them now. She seems to trust Emi and Bix enough to trust us. Maybe if we give her some time she will tell us what's going on. For now we will just keep a close eye on them. We'll make sure whoever attacked the children's father isn't coming after them, and if whoever it does happens to try to hurt them we will protect them.'

'I just hope by the time she let's us in it's not to late.'

* * *

Lucy had known they had been followed, but also knew there wasn't really much whoever followed them would figure out. Celestina was still terrified, but at least now she would talk with Erik. She was still chirping a little, but it was excitedly. As she tried to copy the song Lucy constantly song, something young phoenix's loved to do. Tilon had curled up into her chest and slept. It was odd holding a phoenix child, it wasn't something Lucy had done even when she was part of the clan. Back then she had still been young and mischievous no where near ready to settle down, and she felt if she held any children her clan would just try to convince her of what a good mother she would make.

It felt a lot different then holding Farron and Zen when they had been children, but at the same time she still felt that overwhelming calm holding a baby had always given her. She still hadn't seen her sons around the guild, only seeing Arman's adopted children and she wondered what would happen to her when she finally saw them. Gossip around the guild was the reason she knew they were alive. Farron had become an Ambassador like his father, and most people talked about how far Zen had come since he had joined the guild, but didn't say what exactly he did. She also didn't know what type of magic her sons had either, but since she could only hear the songs from the little ones around her she was certain neither of her sons were phoenix's. Then again there was the option they weren't even close enough to the guild for her to be able to hear them just yet.

Although there was another option that was even more terrifying then if they had been phoenix's. She just didn't know if it was even possible they had inherited that magic. Considering she hadn't been born with it and wasn't like the others it was possible her children wouldn't get that gene. It was how she had been able to convince her adopted father that she didn't need to have children during the holy wars. It was a secret no one else knew, the origins of a magic type that had long been lost, and she was certain rumors would have reached her if either of her sons had gotten that thrice cursed magic. But until she met them and found out what type of magic they used she couldn't help, but worry.

"Are you happy to be home?" She asked Emzadi as the woman sat down beside her. It was a question with an obvious answer considering the smile on her face, but it gave Lucy something to talk about.

"Yeah. Honestly I thought there would have been more yelling. And that Farron and Zen would have been here the instant I came home. Instead they just seem relieved I'm alright. Even if they are all keeping a close watch on me, it's going to be a long time before they let me go anywhere alone, especially considering I'm pregnant."

"You are blessed with a family that would do anything for you. So when will you see your older brothers?"

"Farron has to finish up an assignment, although it should only be a couple more days. Zen went out to join him he was getting too restless here at home. They know I'm home though and Farron will probably act more like an angry father then dad did."

Oddly enough Emzadi's tone changed a little when she talked about Zen. Not like the way a sister might get exasperated with an older brother, but more like she felt more guilt towards worrying him then she did anyone else. As if there was something about Zen Lucy didn't know. But she couldn't ask about him and it was driving her crazy. She needed to know exactly what had happened to him after the explosion had killed her.

_As the building exploded around them Ganier felt a burning sensation arise from her body as she covered the small body of her youngest son. She prayed to anyone who would listen that even if she would die this day that her baby boy would live. And as she prayed she felt a mental barrier she didn't even know existed melt away. Ganier finally remembered who she really was. And the phoenix rose from the ashes long enough to take the full brunt of the blast. Her son's body protected by her wings._

_In that brief moment she couldn't feel anger at the betrayal she had faced. All she could think of was if she was anyone else other then the a Phoenix her son would have died. The son she had never thought she wanted, but she knew that she couldn't regret ever having Zen or Farron. Never regret meeting Arman. Just as long as Zen would live. As long as her baby boy would be with his father._

_As the blasts tore into her Lucy held on for as long as she could. Knowing she had to give every ounce to her son. Even if this meant her last cycle had finally come. She tried so hard to protect him, but it seemed it wasn't enough. Her body just couldn't hold out and she felt the familiar flames start up again. The flames of a new cycle as her body started to deage to an infant. Zen's body becoming less covered the smaller she became. Until eventually she lost complete consciousness. Her entire soul calling out for her baby boy who she knew could never survive. Neither he or Farron had ever shown signs of being Arch Angels or phoenix's and those would be the only things that could save him. 'I love you Zen.'_

Tears ran down Lucy's face as she remembered her death as Ganier. She still didn't know exactly how she had gotten out of Pergrande after she deaged. For the first five hours after the cycle restarted a phoenix was completely unaware of their surroundings. They were also completely protected from any dangers, even those of a hunter, until their magic settled back down to a level manageable for their smaller bodies.

"Lucy what's wrong?" Emzadi's concerned face came swimming into Lucy's vision. Making her remember where she was and the fact that her son was might not know exactly what had happened to her after her rebirth, but she did know he was safe now. Surrounded by family who loved him.

Giving Emzadi a watery smile she gave a half truth, "I guess almost dying finally hit me. I think I just need to go lie down for a while."

"Alright let me show you to the room you can use."

"You young lady are going to eat. I can show Lucy towards the room. Your brother generously offered a room in the mansion."

Arman seemed to pop out of nowhere. Lucy didn't understand why he was being so persistent with her. Unless if he really had somehow noticed who she really was and had just been waiting until the two of them were completely alone before he brought it up. There was no way out of denying his offer however without appearing rude, which would raise questions Lucy couldn't or wouldn't answer, so she had no choice.

"Your father is right Emzadi. You need to eat and spend some time with your family. No need to worry about me, I promise all I need is sleep."

"I'll take the little munchkin Starshine. Call out if you need anything."

Erik said as he took Tilon out of her arms. It was too bad he hadn't found his mate yet. Lucy could tell with the longing look he gave the little boy in his arms that he wanted hatchlings of his own. He deserved time to finally be happy after everything he had been through. Sometimes she wished she knew a way to track down a dragon slayers mate before they had met, just so she could make sure everyone of her kin could have the happiness a mate promised them. Unfortunately fate decided when mates would meet and even Lucy couldn't mess with fate, although fate loved to mess with her.

She loved seeing him hold the young phoenix, but at the same time she wished he had left Tilon with her, at least the little boy would have been an extra barrier around Arman. That man still gave her the oddest feeling that he could see into her soul. In the past it had made her happy that he knew her so well. Now it just felt her with fear. Too much had happened between them. Things that would make it hard to have a happy life. And they had already lost so much time. Lucy couldn't let him back in just to lose him in a short period of time.

Suddenly Lucy's energy levels just plummeted and she found she could barely keep her eyes open. Leaning to the side slightly she found herself against Arman's shoulder. The look he gave her was so gentle and before she could protest Lucy found herself being lifted into his arms. After all this time being held by him still comforted her more then anything else ever had and Lucy couldn't help but relax in his hold. Perhaps she had been pushing herself too much after everything she had been through. As he walked away with her in his arms Lucy couldn't even muster the energy to act embarrassed, instead she just found herself curling into his arms more breathing in that unique scent of spices and the grass sea that had always made her feel safe. It still affected her in just the same way and Lucy had to bite back a moan as he shifted her in his arms to get a better hold and his arm briefly brushed against her breasts. Her nipples hardened instantly and Lucy hoped none of the dragon slayers were paying enough attention to her to be able to smell the wave of arousal that took over her. If this happened just from him carrying her because she was exhausted it was going to be hard to resist him, just like it always had been.

* * *

Arman looked down at the woman in his arms. Although she tried to hide it her reaction to him was obvious and it was taking all of his self restraint to not just run up the stairs and ask her to share pleasure with him. Her lips were tempting him to just steal another taste of the chocolate strawberry flavor, but he knew at the moment that she was still too stressed out. If he moved too quickly with her she would bolt. She reminded him of a grass runner wild, but needing to be tamed just enough for a bond to rise and then it would last a life time. Lucy Heartfilia was his second chance at a happily ever after and he was certain he wouldn't get a third so he couldn't bungle this up. Hopefully his children would be able to stay out of this because otherwise their meddling might scare her away.

It was odd how different and yet similar the feelings he held for her were to what he felt for Ganier. With his wife though he had never had to really fight. Their attraction had been instant and their courtship had gone by quickly. Both knowing they wanted to share the rest of their lives together. Something had scared Lucy though enough that he had to be careful with her. Show her that he could love her the way she deserved and that she had nothing to fear from him. It would be a hard battle, but as he looked down at the woman in his arms he knew it would be worth it.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

Those damned idiots were driving him insane. The Boscan airships were designed to combat any motion sickness, so the other slayers were acting foolishly as they always did not being weighed down the way they usually were on vehicles. When he had called Erza up to his office the damned flaming idiot had followed and wouldn't leave wanting news on Lucy, and when he found out Lucy was in Bosco and Laxus was going there he wouldn't budge on coming with him. Which lead to Iron Balls and Wendy wanting to come with him as well.

At least Wendy was sane. All Laxus had to worry about with her was the idiot boys flirting with her trying to convince her to sneak off to share a kiss, and Laxus was able to unleash some of his frustration on them by electrocuting anyone who acted too forward with Wendy. Until she went through her first heat Laxus wasn't going to let any idiot boys near her. As a dragoness she wouldn't be ready for courtships or a mate until her heat, so he wasn't going to allow her to waste her time with idiots who would just try to get into her pants and break her heart. Once she came into her full confidence as an adult female dragon slayer he would leave her alone because those instincts would make her fierce enough she could scare unworthy males away from her all on her own.  
Even though he knew Blondie was in Bosco he couldn't stop worrying about her. She still hadn't called him from her comm again and he hadn't heard anything from Bix other then him saying Emzadi was home. Honestly it was a little strange that there was silence from Bix and Blondie at the same time when they were in the same country. Making him wonder if maybe the entire reason Emzadi had been the one to call him was because Blondie was severely injured somehow. Blondie was stubborn enough to demand Bix not tell anyone if she was hurt, and Bix was scared enough of Scary Blondie that he would do anything she wanted if she stopped acting like the cheerful woman they all knew and loved.

His dragon was also acting restless. Knowing this would be the first time they saw Spitfire in person since she became an adult dragoness. Part of him was praying and hoping that Emzadi really would be his mate. That he wouldn't have to be alone anymore. He already knew Emi loved him as a friend. Would it really be hard for them to fall in love if they were mates? He wanted so much for her to be his mate. Emi was everything he had always wanted. Smart, beautiful, strong, and someone who wasn't afraid to put him in his place if he needed it.

"A change is in the wind."

"What kind?"

"One that will change all of our lives forever."

That was a part of her magic Wendy was only starting to learn. For those she was connected to through their kin bond the wind seemed to warn her when something was coming. Yet it wasn't precise enough yet for her to tell if it was a good or bad change. He worried that one day Wendy would end up having visions of the future as well. There was so much more the air affected that her magic might end up using. Charle it seemed got less visions the older she got. Having seen nothing at all since Acnologia and Zeref's deaths. So hopefully whatever was coming wasn't the next big evil their guild would be stuck fighting.

* * *

_She was running scared. The Pergrande embassy in front of her. Something was wrong. Arman was supposed to meet her with the boys, but he had never showed up. The street just seemed to get longer and longer no matter how much she tried to run. She watched in fear as the building exploded. A scream ripping through her throat knowing her family was inside. They were dead and she hadn't been fast enough to save them. Something rolled against her feet and she screamed seeing the severed bloody head of her beloved Arman._

Waking with a gasp Lucy couldn't stop shaking. She knew Arman was alive that her memories having come back were mixing truth with fear. Replacing her with Arman and Farron. Yet she just couldn't calm down. Full body shaking sobs taking over her as she kept seeing Arman's severed head at her feet.

Without even being fully aware of what she was doing Lucy got out of bed. All she knew was she couldn't be alone and she walked down the hall following the familiar energy of her husband. Pushing the door open she was glad when she found the room empty except for a fast asleep Arman. She didn't know how she would explain to him why she had come to his room in the middle of the night. At first she had just wanted to make sure he was okay needing to see him to reassure herself, but as she looked at his peaceful face Lucy found herself needing the safety she had felt earlier when he had carried her upstairs. Glancing around to make sure no one was in the hallway Lucy snuck into the room closing the door lightly behind her, and before she could talk herself out of it she curled up onto the bed beside Arman. Sighing in contentment when his arms immediately wrapped around her and pulled her against his sleeping body. Knowing he was there with her it didn't take Lucy long to fall back asleep.

* * *

The crick of the door woke Arman and he glanced up at his oldest son. It seemed Farron and Zen had arrived home earlier then they had planned. Of course his son would arrive when all Arman wanted to do was fall back asleep. Rising his finger to his lips he carefully disentangled himself from the sleeping angel beside him, watching sadly as she immediately curled herself around his pillow after he moved away. The tear tracks that had dried on her face last night had him wishing he could stay here and offer her more comfort, but knew Farron wouldn't wait long before he burst. Usually Farron was the most patient of his children, but when he found his father in bed with a young woman his patience seemed to have completely left him.

"Let's go get some breakfast."

_**"Dad."** _

"Not until we are far enough we won't wake her."

Arman had woken up last night when she had snuck into his room. Tears still falling down her cheeks and he had instinctively known that if he had shown her he was awake she would have left. So he had pretended to be asleep and just wrapped his arms around her gently when she curled up beside him as if he was just moving closer to warmth in his sleep. Offering her the comfort and safety he knew she needed. He didn't know what she had dreamed of that had woken her, but he had known it had hurt her deeply. Even though he wished she hadn't gotten a nightmare, a part of him couldn't help but be happy about it. Because she had come to him out of everyone else. When she had two guildmates just further down the hall, one of whom was her kin due to his dragonic nature, and she had chosen him for comfort. It made him hope that maybe convincing her to give them a chance wouldn't be as hard as he thought it might be.

"Farron you're home!" Emi called out running directly into her brother's arms. Even though they had informed Farron of Emi's pregnancy it seemed that seeing it person had struck his eldest speechless for a few moments as he lightly hugged Emi back. Almost as if he was afraid if he hugged her to tightly he would hurt the baby, it reminded Arman of how he acted when Ganier started showing when she was pregnant with Farron.

"Hey Emi. Yeah Zen and I arrived earlier, Zen apparently had something to do. So I went to wake dad up knowing he likes to know the minute I come home from work, and was shocked to find him in bed with a young blonde woman."

Of course Farron just couldn't be distracted enough by his pregnant sister. Arman felt a little hot under the collar when his daughter turned wide eyes on him. It's not like he had done anything to Lucy, she had just needed comfort, nothing like what Farron was implying. Knowing how pregnancy mood swings could affect a woman he had prepared himself for Emi to start yelling at him, but instead he was shocked when she started crying a big smile on her face.

"Lucy is an amazing woman. Oh daddy I'm so glad you can be happy again. When's the wedding?"

"Emzadi. Woah. Don't get ahead of yourself sweetheart. Your brother is misleading you. Yes Lucy was in my bed honey, but it was only because she had a bad nightmare last night. Honestly I don't even know if she was fully awake when she came in. Nothing happened."

He knew he needed to be blunt to keep his daughter from planning a wedding. But a part of him was actually happy that Emi was taking this so well, even if nothing had actually happened with him and Lucy. At least it meant if he could convince the brilliant young woman to give him a chance, he would have one of his children already on board.

Yet even though he knew it was way too soon, considering the fact that while fully awake Lucy tried to avoid him, he couldn't help but imagine Lucy in a pure white dress. Walking up the aisle towards him on their wedding day. His children all happy with his choice. He barely knew her, but at the same time he felt like he had known her his entire life. As if she was a part of his very soul. It had been the same with Ganier he had just known instantly. Yet with Lucy their relationship would be harder to start. She had been through so much hardship in her life, and he only knew a bit of it. To convince her that he could be what she needed would take a lot of time and patience.

"Daddy, Lucy would be perfect for you. She clearly feels close to you if she came to you last night, ask her on a date?"

"Emzadi. Your friend has just been through hell. She doesn't need you trying to matchmake, and neither do I honey. If I decide I want to pursue something with her I will do it on my own time. You, all of you, are not to interfere."

Of course he knew he had basically admitted he wanted something with Lucy, but he needed to make sure his children didn't jump the gun. They had hoped he might give Minda a chance, but something had always held him back, and now he wondered if it was because he had been waiting for Lucy. He didn't need his children trying to move them too quickly and risk her running.

"Oh fine," it was hilarious seeing her pout when she was pregnant. He really had to get Cris and Xally to look her over. He wanted to know when he was going to have his grandchildren and how many there would be.

* * *

Lucy woke up with a start not remembering quite where she was. All she knew was she smelt the amazing scent she usually got from Arman and found herself holding a pillow tightly to her chest. Jumping up Lucy realized she wasn't in the room she had fallen asleep in last night, and looked down relieved to see she was still wearing her clothes. There was no way she would risk complicating things with Arman further by sleeping with him when he didn't know who she really is. It was only after she had started panicking wondering what had brought her to this strange room, that she remembered her nightmare from the night before. Seeing Arman's bloody severed head at her feet and having to check and make sure he was alright. A bright blush flowed over her cheeks when Lucy realized she had ended up crawling into bed with Arman last night. What must he think of her? To him they had only just met. Did he think she had been trying to proposition him last night? Where was he right now? What was she going to do?

"Cosplayer I know you're in there. I'm coming in," Bix's voice called out right before he opened the door. "Dad told Kaleb about your nightmare. How are you feeling?"

"Better. I don't know why I came here..."

"Probably because it was the first room with anyone in it. The rest of us ended up curling up with Emi last night. Even Poison Breath and the little ones, guess the dragon instincts got to him, and the rest of us were just glad Emi was home. It's nothing to be ashamed of. I know Natsu usually helps you deal with the nightmares. No one's going to tease you about it, they'll just tease dad. Emi was even apparently planning your wedding before she found out you had a nightmare."

This wasn't the Bix she usually knew. He must have seen her after she had fought the Hellspawn, otherwise he wouldn't be treating her like she was fragile. Bix out of everyone in the guild had learned a long time ago she wasn't. Perhaps he wasn't as close to her as her team, but his magic allowed him to see more then anyone else ever had. It was hard sometimes knowing what Bix knew about her. His magic had always been dangerous around phoenix's, not that Bix himself made her feel fear, but Seith mage's and phoenix's did not have the best history together. Most phoenix's were terrified to death if they even met a Seith. His magic worked differently on her kind and she didn't know exactly what he could see with her. If he knew she wasn't really human. All she knew for sure was that he didn't know what she was, if he even did know she was different.

And what did he mean Emzadi was already planning her wedding to Arman. Just that thought alone made her want to panic, but at the same time made her think of her actual wedding.

_It was just Tesso and Ganier now. Their parents had died years ago during an epidemic when they were children, the two of them had ended up growing up at the Academe Celeste for part of the time and the rest of their time was spent with their clan. So of course Ganier would ask him to be the one to walk her down the aisle. It might not be something usually done in Bosco, but Ganier had dreamed of walking down an aisle to Arman ever since she realized she had loved him. So her brother and Arman had both agreed._

_Her dress was a present from a woman who said she had met Ganier when she was younger, although Ganier didn't know her, but there was just something about her that made Ganier want to trust her. She had long silver hair that trailed on the floor behind her as she walked, almost like she was constantly wearing a wedding veil, and these piercing eyes that resembled moon light. Opals, moonstones, selenite, and labradorite gems were spun throughout her hair. Making her sparkle as she walked. Her aura wasn't human, but Ganier had never felt afraid of her. The dress she gifted Ganier was pure white at first glance, but when she walked it became like a rainbow and as if she was a walking flame. Something that soothed Ganier and made her happy._

_The look in Arman's eyes as he saw her in her dress had her smiling deeply, glad that her love could be brought to his knees just by seeing her in a wedding dress. The rest of their wedding had been a blur, Ganier had only been able to focus on Arman, it was difficult having to wait, but she would have to go to the immaculate light with him next. Since he was a Knight any union had to be blessed first. And then they would finally be able to consummate their marriage and Ganier would be able to say she was satisfied with Arman and give him his wedding band._

It had been a magical day, and now that she had her memories back she knew the woman had been Rem. She had always told Lucy she would one day find love no matter what she believed. That love had a way of sneaking up on you and always blessed those with pure hearts, and according to Rem Lucy had the purest heart she had ever known.

If Rem was here right now she would be smacking Lucy upside the head and demanding to know why Lucy hadn't already told Arman everything. All Rem had ever wanted for her was happiness, but she had also seemed surprised when Lucy hadn't recognized her as Ganier, yet she hadn't interfered. Wanting to let events unfold, and Lucy knew unlike Rem's other half, Rem hadn't been involved in her memory loss. Plus since she hadn't seen Rem since she became Lucy, she couldn't blame Rem for not making sure she knew she had a family. She just hoped Rem was still alright. That nothing had happened to her her in the time between her wedding to Arman and her being here today. So much had changed since the last time they had seen each other.

"Are you ready for breakfast Cosplayer?"

"I'm not really hungry."

"Let me rephrase then. You are eating at least some toast and I will drag you to the dining room if I have to."

"Bix!"

"Nope, won't work Cosplayer. You're body might have been healed by the immaculate light, but you're probably still way too weak, so food is important right now. Besides the Bossman would kill me if you got worse after you got here. Not to mention the rest of the guild."

Of course he would have to be stubborn today, when Lucy just wanted to sneak down from the mansion to White Sea, and continue trying to avoid Arman. How could she face him after sneaking into his room last night? Everyone knew and despite Bix saying they understood it was because of her nightmare she wasn't sure if Arman would leave it at that. Plus what if they wanted to know what her nightmare had been about?

Yet Bix could be stubborn when he wanted to be and she knew he really would drag her to get some food if he had to. "Just let me go get dressed first then. Can you show me the way back to my room?"

"Of course."

Maybe if she summoned Loke or Virgo to eat with them things would be easier. Her spirits were probably waiting for her to call one of them out already. Actually it surprised her that Loke hadn't forced his gate open yet. They would have felt what had happened last night, and once Chez went back after making sure she was in good hands he had probably told everyone about her fight with Hellspawn. Aquarius was probably worried out of her mind and Lucy knew Aquarius wouldn't be able to calm down without seeing Lucy in person, or Scorpio seeing her in person since she still couldn't summon her spirit. She had been searching since the end of the war, but so far had no luck in bringing Aquarius home, and everyone was still unaware that she had lost the key. It actually surprised her that no one had asked her about the lack of summoning Aquarius on missions. Even if it made her glad at the same time since she wouldn't be made to explain what had really happened to Aquarius.

Her scar was still irritated, way too much for her to be able to cover it, she'd have to take a bath later in her room. The Boscan waters would be able to soothe it a little. It was just too bad she couldn't go to the baths downstairs. She had loved them as Ganier, but they would wash away the makeup she tended to use, even if she could use it right now, and anyone who had paid attention when she was in the baths would have seen it. It would be too hard to explain away how she had the exact same scar as Ganier Pradesh and was attracted to Arman.

Summoning Scorpio she smiled as she saw the scowl on his face. "We are! Milady has been waiting Princess, we were worried when you didn't summon us at all yesterday."

"Sorry Scorpio. I just needed time to heal. They had me in the immaculate light chamber to heal the Hellspawn wounds and it was better for me not to use my magic right away. You know what immaculate light does to my magic. I'm fine. Tell Quari I miss her."

"We are, of course Princess."

Letting Scorpio go she decided against calling out one of her other spirits. Bix would just call her out on it if she walked out of her room accompanied by a spirit, and might decide that there was more to her going to his father's room then her nightmare last night. So to keep him from getting suspicious she would have to act as normal as she possibly could. Even if it was making her slightly uncomfortable.

Besides if she tried to avoid all of Bix's sibling she wouldn't be able to learn more about her sons. She was nervous about actually meeting them and what they might say to her, since they didn't know her, but at the same time she was excited. She hadn't seen them since they were babies and she wondered if they had taken after their father's features or hers more. Either way they probably never lacked for company. Had she missed them promising with someone? Were either of them in a committed relationship, or were they still looking for that special someone? What if they didn't like her? Lucy didn't think she could handle it if her sons didn't even want to speak to her.

It was so odd thinking of them and knowing they were adults, but only being able to picture them as toddlers. They had been so young when she had died. Arman had probably raised them to the best of his abilities, but they would have always had a hole in their lives from where she was supposed to be. What would happen when they found out, no if they found out, she was really their mother? They would hate her. But she just couldn't open up. _**He**_ would go after them and _**he**_ was more dangerous then anyone else they had ever fought. She couldn't get them involved.

"I'm ready to go Bix," she said. Knowing the only way she would stop worrying was to just get on with her morning.

"You sure you're feeling alright Lucy?"

"I'm fine. Just been through a lot that last few days and I'm still processing everything."

"Alright, but you know you can talk to me if you need anything."

"I know Bix. Sometimes though some things can only be worked out alone."

He gave her a look of sadness, but let it go. She knew he wouldn't push with her. Bix never had. As if he was afraid she might break one day. But she was stronger then that, and she would get through this. Even if it would drive her up a wall.

Before they even got close to the dining room Lucy could hear the joyous sounds of the Pradesh family. It was heartwarming to know Arman had opened his heart up so much after he had lost her. That he had adopted children who needed him and raised some amazing children. He had been able to live without her for a long time and he would be able to continue that way. Arman was stronger then she would ever be.

The moment Lucy entered the room she froze. Her eyes locked on the young man laughing besides Emzadi, and she just knew she was looking at her oldest son. Farron had grown up well his baby blue eyes sparkled with laughter and love. He looked so much like his father, his hair braided to keep it out of his face and trailed down his back, strands of mahogany mixed with golden streaks. He wore traditional Boscan clothing that showed off the eagle tattoos of Akeris, the clan she had been a part of as Ganier, but had lost the connection to when her cycle had restarted only her scar every remained for each new start.

It was odd seeing him as a grown man when she just remembered her baby boy. Who used to follow her around saying he loved mommy the most and that he was going to be just like daddy when he grew up. Remembered how he had sworn to protect Zen from the very first day he was born, happy that his baby buther was now a part of their family. The day of the explosion he had wanted to go with daddy, so he could learn how to be just like him, and get mommy and his baby buther a special gift. Now he was all grown up. And he had become this amazing man completely without her.

Lucy wanted to stay and talk to him get to know her son, but instead she ran out of the room. A wave of nausea over taking her. She had missed out on so much of his life and she shouldn't be here now. Shouldn't be risking them being tracked by _**him,**_ but until the young phoenix's were safe she couldn't leave. Lucy couldn't even make it to a bathroom instead she ended up bending over a potted plant in the hallway losing what little had remained in her stomach from last night. Tears streaming down her face as she thought of everything she had lost. Immortality was just a curse.

* * *

Farron watched in confusion as the young woman ran out of the room. She had looked familiar to him, but he put that off at him having caught her in bed with his father. He didn't understand why she had looked so pained when she had looked at him, Farron had never seen a look full of such raw suffering before. It confused him. Especially considering how much he wished he could protect her from that sadness and bring a smile to her face. She was beautiful, but he felt like she was already a part of their family.

His brother was just staring at the door sadness in his eyes, the light glow showing he had been looking at her soul. What had happened to a woman who gave off such a warm feeling to make Bix look at her like that? He only looked at people whose souls were damaged beyond repair in that way.

"I should..."

"No Emi Lucy needs to be alone right now. Pushing her has never worked it just makes her pull in deeper to herself. She will come to us when she's ready, but push too much and she will lose all light. And we can't afford to lose her light, the world wouldn't know what it's missing."

Bix seemed to be speaking from experience. Farron knew Kaleb had been suspicious of Bix's guild mate for a long time, but even Kaleb was looking at the door with pity. What had happened after she had been attacked by Hellspawn. Kaleb had been against her wanting to basically interrogate her because things about her didn't add up, and now he seemed to not even want to chase after her to get the answers he had wanted for years. Had her bringing Emi home safe made Kaleb trust her, or was it seeing her body broken by Hellspawn so bad that they had only been able to heal her with immaculate light?

"Are you sure Bixlow?"

"Yeah dad. Lucy gets like this once in a while and everyone learns that it's easier just to make sure she knows we are here when she's ready. I'm surprised with all the cracks in her soul, that I've ever seen her happy, her soul is a worse mess then Zen's was when we brought him home."

The trauma she would have had to have been through for that to be true was ridiculous. Lucy Heartfilia was supposed to have been an heiress who had run away wanting to become a guild mage, none of the files Farron had read on her could explain what Bix was hinting at. Just what had that woman been through? His father really knew how to pick them. First woman he'd truly been interested in since his mother had died and she was in worse shape then his brother who had been a Gladiator in the Pergrande Pits!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

Emzadi was shocked that she had been able to sneak out of the house. Laxus had called saying his airship was landing shortly, but that he had been forced to bring the other dragon slayers with him when they had found out Lucy was here in Bosco. Now she was heading to a White Sea affiliated Cafe that had privacy barriers on every booth to protect guild mages who were meeting to discuss missions, it was also a favorite place for the Knights to meet when a mission was sensitive. So even if people saw her and Laxus sitting together no one would be able to hear their conversation.

She was still worried about Lucy. The poor woman had been sick most of the day yesterday, and barely able to even keep down soup. Xally had offered to sit with her last night, to make sure her family would sleep peacefully. Her newest kin already had the rest of the family wrapped around her finger. Well everyone other then Zen. He still hadn't met her yet. No one knew exactly what he was doing other then Kaleb, and Emzadi was a little worried. He was supposed to have come home with Farron, and she had thought he would have at least wanted to see her first before going off on another mission, but she hadn't heard anything from him.

Now here she was waiting for the father of her unborn children. According to Cris and Xally's checkup yesterday Emzadi was about 4 and a half months along, which in a dragon slayer meant she would be having her twins in a month and a half. Two little boys according to Cris. With the rarity of female dragons it would probably be difficult for her to ever have a girl. Although with who the father was maybe it was better they were expecting sons, he would have been way too over protective of a daughter, considering how worried he was about Lucy.

"Emi, you really shouldn't be out here without one of your siblings," Thane called out to her. Coming out of a shop from ahead of her, so she knew her over protective siblings hadn't set a spy on her. Honestly they had all been pretty worried about Lucy, Cris was even thinking that the immaculate light chamber might not have gotten all of the Hellspawn poison out, so Erik was going to check Lucy's blood. If her blood still made him feel a little sick then Lucy might not be as completely out of danger as they had thought.

Thane was Kaleb's aid and right hand man of White Sea. If he wasn't married Emi might have tried to set Thane up with Kaleb because they would have made a good match, but Thane was married quite happily to a wonderful woman. He was like another brother to Emi.

"I'm just going to the Silver Cafe, you can walk with me if you want, but I'm meeting a friend there."

"The friend who knocked you up?"

Of course he would realize that instantly. Thane was smart and there would have been no other reason for her to risk scaring her siblings again because if any of them knew she had wanted to go out today they would have sent at least one of them with her. Which Thane was well aware of. Sometimes it was like Kaleb's magic rubbed off on Thane giving him the same advantages over people that Kaleb had. He was just way too good at reading people, which is what made him such an amazing asset to White Sea for whenever Kaleb was called away to do something for the crown.

At least Thane would be the one least likely to knock Laxus flat on his back. Actually Thane had asked her why she had never tried to proposition Laxus, or see him since she had grown up. Part of it hadn't been consciously, but another part might have been because after what happened with her first mating cycle and the death of her first love, she had been too afraid Laxus would end up as her mate. He was the only one of Bix's team she had never made Kin, even though Cris had and Laxus was kin with everyone else in her family. Emzadi had been too afraid he would be her mate. Yet when they met during her undercover mission, she had finally found out he wasn't and it had been disappointing, she thought she had been ready to open her heart again and been disappointed that he wasn't hers.

"Yeah, although he doesn't know it was me. I saw him again when I was on that undercover mission, and we ended up fighting in an underground club no magic and after he won at the hand to hand combat we found ourselves in bed. I never gave him my name, so having to tell him he's going to be a father when both of us had used protection is going to be a touch difficult. So please don't interfere, or tell Kaleb where I am, if you have to tell him I'm within your eye sight and you won't let me leave it until we are back at the guild, but I need to do this without my siblings."

"Only a Pradesh could have such an insane story, although it's something I'd expect from Vander not you Emzadi. I'll tell Kaleb you're with me, before they realize you're gone, to keep them from worrying. If you even think of going out of my eyesight I will call your brother and make sure your entire family knows exactly what you came here to do."

"Thank you Thane," she said happily giving the older man a gentle kiss on the cheek. He really was amazing. His wife was a very lucky woman and when she finally found her mate she'd have the same type of all consuming relationship he and his wife shared.

As they entered the cafe Emzadi was a little disappointed that Laxus hadn't arrived yet, but she was also a little glad. Her nerves were acting up and she had no idea what she was going to say. Although maybe it was better that Laxus hadn't been here first since he would have seen her obviously pregnant stomach and demanded to know who had knocked her up, before she could even think of explaining everything to him. This way she was able to sit down at a table to wait and with the tablecloth draped over her and the lower lighting of the cafe Laxus wouldn't be able to see her pregnancy right away. Hopefully if he smelt it he would just think he was picking up the smell of another woman in the busy cafe, it was annoying not being able to smell her own pregnancy and know what the other slayers smelt now.

Not surprisingly Emzadi's breath caught in her throat the moment Laxus came into her view, no what surprised her was the sudden rearing of her inner dragon clamoring inside her calling Laxus her mate the moment his storm grey eyes met her orange ones. How? It should have been impossible! They had bloody slept together and her dragon hadn't responded at all. Now all of a sudden it was claiming Laxus as her mate.

Emzadi didn't even really have time to process what she was feeling or how this was possible because Laxus was upon her within seconds. His lips crashing down on her own. His fangs brushing against her bottom lip, nipping her gently to make her open her mouth for him, as if he was ready to prepare to mate her within the cafe. Emzadi lost herself in the sensation of the kiss. Everything was more intense then the night they had spent sharing pleasure all those months ago, her dragon was purring and she could feel herself getting wet just from the kiss. She wanted to continue it forever, but she knew Laxus had to be told of everything before she could do more then kiss him.

It was difficult for her to pull away from Laxus. Every time he needed a breath, or allowed her to breathe he would kiss and nibble along her neck, purring against her in a sensual manner that made her forget what she was supposed to do. Her dragon was putty in his hands.

"Laxus!" she finally moaned out on the verge of climaxing just from his lips and teeth, and they were in a crowded cafe, "you need to stop."

"Spitfire," he growled pulling away. Scales covered his face showing his dragon nature was in control.

"We need to talk," and even though she knew it could make his dragon react negatively she brought his hand to her stomach. Making him feel the bulge of her pregnancy, and yet instead of growling at her in anger that his mate was pregnant Laxus purred even deeper, sliding down onto his knees to nuzzle her stomach. It seemed part of dragon nature was to instantly recognize when they were going to be a father.

**_"Mine, my mate my children."_ **

"Yes, I need to tell you how we..."

"Not now. Now our children need my magic, bring me home Spitfire, share pleasure with me." He still struggled to talk his dragonic nature trying to take completely over, but it seemed he was still a little in control since he wasn't trying to strip her in the cafe. Right now all he would think of was the fact that she had been the only one supplying their children magic, and since they were dragon slayers talking could always be done later.

Hopefully their instincts would take over. Emzadi just hoped they would be able to keep from mating tonight, although from what she knew about mating a female dragon slayer the male was supposed to subdue her in a fight first. But there had never been a case, that Lucy had heard of, where a female dragon slayer was pregnant when she met her mate or in Emzadi's case realized who her mate was. Although actual dragons would have tried to make it so the dragoness was carrying their offspring instead. Would her pregnancy change how the mating process worked for them?

Either way with Laxus being her mate Emzadi was happy. Even if they couldn't mate until after their children were born, Emzadi hoped he wouldn't be opposed to marrying her. The situation had completely changed now that she knew. So she wanted her children to share their father's name.

* * *

After Kaleb's aid had called to make sure everyone knew Emi was safe Lucy had left the guild. She needed some time alone. Her emotions were still in turmoil from meeting Farron and she just needed to be away from fussing people. Bix had tried to force her to bring someone with her, but she had just turned on Scary Lucy giving him the glare Lucy Ashley had taught her, and walked out of the guild that had turned to complete silence. It seemed Scary Lucy worked on more then just her Fairy Tail guildmates. Although she had a feeling if Arman had been downstairs when she left it wouldn't have been so easy.

Honestly Lucy didn't know where she was going. She just knew being around all of the Pradesh's, especially Arman, was getting too much for her. Hopefully the little one's relatives would arrive soon to bring them back to the clan. Lucy knew running wasn't smart, but she just didn't see another choice. How could she just change their lives? Tell them everything they knew about Ganier Pradesh was a lie? One she hadn't meant to create, but was still caused by her in the end. They would want to know why she didn't feel like she could trust them, and how could she explain millenniums of trusting almost no one. In her entire life Lucy had only completely trusted four people, and two of those people had betrayed her, at least she believed they had. Because nothing made sense if it hadn't been them who made her into Ganier Pradesh and took away her memories twice. Making sure the truth of Ganier Pradesh had remained hidden. Otherwise why would she have remained safe?

As she was turning to walk along the Grass Sea she felt a pull, not one that warned of danger, but it still entranced her. Lucy couldn't argue with it. And she found herself being led to a small out of the way beach, empty for all but one person. The first thing that registered to Lucy was the black wings, a style of which she hadn't seen in a very long time, an Arch Angels wings. And then when the person turned around Lucy froze as recognition hit her like lightning. Those unique eyes that were a mixture of purple and gold so like her biological mother's had been, and mahogany hair that had more streaks of gold within it then his brother's. Her baby boy who she had last seen cradled in her own wings doing her best to shield him from the bomb praying he would live even if she herself died.

 _ **"MOM!"**_ the cry was instant and unexpected, as was the feeling of a pair of sturdy arms cradling her to his body. Never had she thought he would recognize her from the very beginning.

She was too frozen to do anything. Even return her son's hug. She had never expected someone would recognize Lucy Heartfilia as Ganier Pradesh, and out of everyone who could have blown her cover she would have never thought it would be her youngest son. He had barely been a year old when she had died. The connection they shared shouldn't have been strong enough for him to recognize her completely when neither his father or older brother had. Although with him being an Arch Angel it did make a lot of sense that he could sense the family bonds. How had she not heard of this within the guild? Hell it should have been all over Earthland that an Arch Angel existed, and Lucy had never heard a peep. Not even from her spirits, who should have known from the moment his wings had manifested.

Yet he was her baby boy. The feeling returned to her arms and she hesitantly hugged him back. Holding her own tears in and allowing herself just this one moment to be his mother.

"How is this possible?" Zen asked finally pulling away from her. His eyes wide with tears of joy falling down his face.

"I, it's a very long story. No one else knows I was once Ganier Pradesh, and I'm sorry it has to stay that way."

She wanted to run, not give him a chance to stop her, but she also knew if she didn't explain at least a little bit he would contact Kaleb and his father immediately. And it wouldn't take long for them to realize who he was saying was his mother once he described her to them. Somehow she had to convince him that it was in everyone's best interests for him to keep her secret.

"Why?! Dad and Farron gave up hope thinking my wings were the only reason I survived. I always prayed that maybe since I survived you had to. This is amazing!"

"Can you ward this area from eavesdroppers. What I have to say can't be overheard."

"Of course," he said a bright smile although he still seemed a little confused. There was a brightness in his eyes, but there was also a haunted look that Lucy had seen in the mirror for most of her life. A look that only ever disappeared when she was with his father.

She watched in awe as his magic spread out around them. Runes appearing out of nowhere making this place safe for them to have their discussion. She just hoped that after she had said her piece Zen would understand, and keep her secret. It wasn't like she could force him to keep it for her, but she just didn't know what to do.

"I guess I should start with the fact that I'm not actually human. I'm a phoenix and whenever our bodies are damaged to the point they will die, our bodies reverse themselves until we are infants again. The older we are, the older the age of the infant during the reversal, but we never end up being older then a year. Occasionally we can speed up the process of our aging after the rebirth, but it is very painful and is saved for emergency situations when we need to be older for our protection or the protection of others."

It was odd that Zen so far hadn't tried to interrupt her or ask questions. Instead he was just sitting in the sand quietly listening to everything she told him. Although she couldn't tell him everything she had to give him enough of a background that he could understand how Ganier Pradesh had changed so much and didn't look anywhere as old as she should be, and to explain why she had never come home.

"Truthfully I am millennium's old and I don't even know exactly when I was born. Just that it was long before Bosco even became an actual country, and before Arch Angels were created even before dragons came to Earthland. When I was your mother I didn't know I was a phoenix. Someone had interfered in my life, well intentional or not I don't a hundred percent know although I do have my suspicions. So your father didn't know. My memories of being a phoenix remained sealed from me until the day of the attack on us both," licking her lips hoping to rid them of the dryness pain overcame her as she thought back to that horrid day and her nightmare, but she had to keep speaking to get Zen to understand. "The chance of losing you brought my memories to the surface and I tried to use my wings to shield you. The bomb tore through my wings and even though I tried my hardest I couldn't hold on any more. And my cycle restarted. I do not know what happened after that. Just that when a phoenix's cycle restarts we are shielded in a bubble that hides us from anyone who doesn't know we are phoenix's and from those who might mean us harm.

"Whoever got me out of the Embassy that day made sure I didn't remember my life as Ganier Pradesh. And I restarted as someone new remembering I was a phoenix, but not the years I spent as Ganier. Knowing I was missing twenty odd years of my life I became more cautious. Although trouble has always followed me. Dragon's and phoenix's are close and when Emzadi was in need I found her. Leading me back here to Bosco, where I ran into your father and my memories returned to me. It was so hard remembering a life where I had love, your father is the only man I've ever loved in my long life, and you are the only children I have ever had.

"I know you are probably wondering why I didn't just explain to him everything when I got my memories back, but my life has always been in danger. When I had started my third cycle and was only the size of a three year old something terrible happened to my biological family."

The very first time she had met the hunter had been horrible. She had only just started her third cycle and had still been living with her parents, her health hadn't been the greatest so she had only lived thirty years, less then a quarter of the time of a usual first cycle and she was already on her third. So her parents hadn't let her completely fly the nest yet too afraid of what might happen to her on her own, even if she would still be in the clan. But she had begged and pleaded that they go to a nearby festival outside of the clan, a week before which had been during her second cycle. So even though she would be too young in body to properly enjoy it her mind could still see the wonders, and her parents had gotten a tent to sleep in.

_Luzira had woken up to the sound of a strange gurgling and being unable to lift herself up completely she had cried out. The chirps of her soul song trying to figure out what was happening since her younger body couldn't speak yet. And then a horrid face had gone above her head. Half of his face was melted off, and the other covered by the mask of an oni, a dangerous demon who phoenix's had wiped out five years before hand. Yet she could see his pitch black eyes staring down at her that made her feel like she would never be in the light again. The look in his eyes was full of madness and made her want to scream. Never had Luzira seen someone so terrifying in her entire life. No one like this would have ever made it into the safety of the clan._

_"You're destiny will not be realized little light, you shall die and darkness shall rise," it was like a thousand voices echoed behind the one and swiftly he slammed a sword right under her heart. If she had been a normal child and her heart where it was supposed to be and a natural size instead of very small, the sword would have pierced her heart and restarted her cycle. At least that's what would normally happen, but the darkness flowing through the dark lightless blade had Luzira gasping for breath unable to breath. Her head flopping to the side from the pain and she almost screamed when she saw the dead eyes of her parents staring back at her. Long past the time their cycles should have restarted and protected their infant bodies until an adult phoenix came. And it took her a few more minutes to realize their heads were no longer attached to their bodies. "Goodbye little light," the dark voice chuckled before leaving. Clearly believing he had succeeded in killing her since she hadn't screamed and her body had gone limp from the shock of seeing her dead parents._

_As the light faded from her Luzira sent a massive song out praying for someone to find her._

"The person responsible for taking away my parents has kept hunting me. He is a dark Seith who used the souls of phoenix's to make his own life immortal. But he only ever goes after phoenix's and those who try to protect us."

"I don't care! Dad and Farron wouldn't either. You are alive! It's a miracle mom, you can't leave us again," Zen was frantic as he pleaded with her. It broke her heart, but she couldn't risk him being harmed.

"This is my path Zen. And it is a parents job to protect their children. So please Zen, do not tell your father or anyone else what I have told you, keep my secret. I couldn't live with myself if any of you were killed because of me."

* * *

Zen couldn't believe what he was hearing. He knew his mother wouldn't lie to him, but he couldn't believe that she didn't trust they could help her. That she was so afraid of losing them that she would lose them anyway since she would be keeping them at a distance.

For so long he had dreamed of his mother. Believing that the warmth that was always surrounding him when he was in the pits was his mother watching over him. Protecting him as she had done in the last moments of her life. Now he was face to face with her again. She was alive. Whole, healthy, but not happy. There was so much fear within her. Fear that had taken over her her entire life, so much that she couldn't even trust the people who loved her unconditionally. His father would just be happy she was alive. Him and Farron would do everything in their power to protect her, to keep her with them, no matter what. Even if their own lives were in danger they wouldn't care. But to his mother it would destroy her if they were put in danger because of her, and he could see the fragility within her that spoke volumes. His mother needed time to heal, time to learn to trust they would protect her, even when none of them knew who she was. If he agreed to keep her secret he could help her, get her to the point where fear was no longer ruling over her. And he had a feeling if he didn't agree she would just run again to keep them safe. She would probably be a master at disappearing and there was no way he would risk that after he had only just found her again.

"I promise I won't tell anyone, but I ask a promise in return. Do not leave again, or if you need to stay in touch. If everything becomes too much come to me."

"I promise. Now tell me what happened to you after the bomb, please I need to know."

He wished he could have gone longer without her wishing to know. Zen already knew his mother would be the type to blame herself for everything that had happened to him, even if she had literally been torn apart trying to keep him safe. But he also knew if he didn't tell her what he had been through she wouldn't trust him. And there was always the chance of someone else telling her. He was still getting used to life outside of the pits, but every day he was becoming stronger.

So he told her everything. How his father had believed they had both died in the bombing, no signs left of their body, only half of her jewellery left behind showing they had even been in the building when it was destroyed. That Pergrande had raised him to be a gladiator. Using his body for entertainment in both fighting and pleasure. Trying to convince him that his family had sold him after his mother died, blaming him for her death, and keeping him overloaded with magic cancelling cuffs to keep him from killing when they didn't want him to.

By the end of his story his mother was in tears, hugging him tightly to her and whispering how sorry she was. Zen didn't say anything, knowing anything he said to reassure her that what happened to him wasn't her fault would fall on dead ears. Instead he just held her trying to give off as much calming influence as he could. Wanting to show her he was strong and that he didn't blame her.

Thoughts of his mother had always kept him going while he was in the pits. Knowing she had died trying to protect him, and that he held her earring to always remember her sacrifice. So knowing she was alive was the greatest gift he could ever receive. Even after being freed from Pergrande his deepest wish had been to find out they had lied about her death as well, and that one day he could bring her home. Now he finally had that chance and he wouldn't do anything to risk ruining it. Even if it meant having to keep secrets from his father and siblings for a little while, they would understand when the time came.

"I love you mom."

"I love you too, but you'll need to call me Lucy when we return to the guild."

It was surprising how quickly she could reign her emotions back under her control, but not as surprising as to hear what the name she currently was using was. Even with just the first name given he could tell she had to be Lucy Heartfilia. His mother had been so close this entire time, a member of Bixlow's guild. Fate really had wanted them to be reunited. Although he had almost lost her again, because of those damned Hellspawn. She had risked her life to protect  
Zen knew it would be hard calling her Lucy. Because in his mind she would always be his mother. But he also knew he had to be careful. At least Kaleb wouldn't be able to get something accidentally from him, Kaleb could only hear what Zen willingly broadcasted. So there was no chance of accidentally slipping on who Lucy Heartfilia really was.

Now that he knew his mother was here, he wanted to go check on his sister, he had been worried about Emzadi but needed to see if he could track where the Hellspawn had come from. He didn't know if they had an actual target or not, but in case it had been Emzadi he had thought that was more important then seeing her first, since he knew she was safe surrounded by the rest of the family.

Unfortunately he hadn't found anything which was what had led him to the hidden cove where he could stare out at the Grass Sea and just appreciate it for a little while. As if somehow he had known he would run into his mother and they would need a private area to talk.

"Would you like to go flying with me?"

"I'd love to, but I can't fly with my own wings it's too dangerous right now."

"Then I'll carry you and you can see the sky with me."

Flying into the sky his mother in his arms was refreshing and made Zen happier then he had been his entire life. His family would finally be on the mend and would one day be whole again.

* * *

Today had been unbelievable for Laxus. He had been so worried he would find out either Blondie or Spitfire was seriously ill, and instead he had found out Spitfire really was his mate. Emzadi was already pregnant with his children and he was glad that she was now ready to be his mate. Laxus had been ready to meet his mate since they had found out they had slept for seven years on Tenrou, and he knew what had happened with Emzadi's first love meaning that when they had met again she hadn't quite been ready for him. Now she was and they were going to be parents. His dragon was ecstatic.

Emzadi had ended up telling Thane they were heading to her apartment in town, hearing they were mates Thane had allowed Emzadi to leave his sight, but made them promise to contact her family with the news once they were settled. Laxus had told Wendy to bring Natsu and Gajeel around to explore Bosco, and that he would meet up with them later on. None of them knew he was with his mate. Just being told he had to meet with someone before they could go to White Sea. Wendy was responsible enough to keep the idiots under control, so he pushed them out of his mind. Going back to thinking about his amazing mate.

It seemed when the female mate was pregnant with the male's offspring the mating process was much easier. Just one bite during the throes of passion and they were mated since his magic was already within her body in their children. His magic when they joined helping their children get stronger and it would help Emzadi have more energy as well. His mate truly was strong if she had been the only one supplying magic to their babies her entire pregnancy. Since usually the father supplied a lot of the magic when they shared pleasure, and dragon slayers are very lusty creatures even more so when the female is pregnant.

Despite the fact that she hadn't come to him the moment she was in control again, Laxus didn't get angry at her, he out of everyone understood what it was like to be confused when it came to relationships. He was just happy that she had reached out to him now.

Now he would just have to convince her siblings not to kill him, although he was certain when they saw the dragons swirling on the side of both of their necks he would be forgiven. Instead they would probably jump right into planning his and Emzadi's wedding. Meaning he'd have to contact Gramps about getting his mother's ring sent to Bosco, so he could properly ask Emzadi to marry him. Even if they were mated, which was as good as marriage for dragon slayers, he wanted everyone to know how much he loved his mate. Relationships were so much easier to start when you didn't have to worry how the other person felt about you.

Laxus would never have to worry about being alone ever again. He would be the best father he could possibly be. Using Arman as his guide to good parenting. Arman was the most caring father Laxus had ever met and he was glad that he would have him for a father-in-law. Gramps would just be happy he was finally getting some great-grandchildren.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

Chaos. It had been absolute chaos at the guild since Lucy had disappeared during their last mission. Gray didn't really understand it. Now Natsu and the other slayers had left to go to Bosco for some reason, and left Erza in charge of the guild. Her being in charge had led to the guild being almost completely empty as everyone decided they didn't wish to find out what Erza would do if they started a brawl when she was in charge, and taking missions that would keep them away for as long as possible.

Most of the guild hadn't realized how much Erza had mellowed since Jellal had finally wised up and married her. He had thought they would have started their family immediately, but so far they had been married since right after Alvarez, Jellal having decided he had come too close to Erza dying on him and proposing on the spot. The two of them had eloped to Crocus without telling anyone not wanting to wait any longer to finally truly belong to one another.  
He wished he had something like that. Juvia had finally gotten the hint he couldn't see her that way. There had been a rather difficult mission where she had been required to get some mind healing afterwards, and when they realized the damage her childhood had left on her they had been able to finally help Juvia heal. Leading to her finally realizing that she wasn't actually in love with him, but she had misunderstood her gratitude and friend love for romantic love. Now they were great friends, without Gray having to worry about hurting her, although before the mind healing things had been getting better with Juvia after everything that had happened with his father. She had actually even tried to give Leon a chance by going on a date with him, but found he didn't interest her.

But Gray wanted someone to love. Although he already was in love with someone. Had been for years, and she had been the reason he had never truly tried to push Juvia away in the past. Hoping that maybe with her nature he might fall in love with her and finally get over his unrequited love. It was ridiculous he had spent half of his life in love with the one woman who would never see him that way. After all they had known each other since they were children and she hadn't ever shown a sign of interest, and considering how often he accidentally stripped there should have at least been some sign she found him moderately attractive. He had tried to get over her, but it was impossible for him, and he hated it. All he wanted was to find someone he could love and share his life with. Being a guild mage could be lonely at times even when he was surrounded by his team. Things had been changing lately. And Gray wasn't sure where that would leave him in the end.

"Gray come drink with me!" Cana demanded from her spot at the bar. Her customary barrel resting beside her. She looked as beautiful as ever. They were friends, but unfortunately that was all they would ever be. Cana took what she wanted when she wanted it. And clearly that meant she didn't want him in the way he wanted her. Their friendship was still important to him though, so he would suffer being her friend if it meant he could at least be around her. Never telling her how he felt because he was afraid it would change things between them. Plus Gildarts would probably kill him.

* * *

When the pierced man had walked into the guild Xally had felt like her heart had stopped. She knew he hadn't seen her yet considering she was on the other side of the guild talking with her brothers, but she wanted him to. There was just something about him that called to her. A raw sensuality that was enhanced by his wild look, long black hair that seemed wiry but she would bet was soft to the touch, piercing red eyes, and metal piercings on his face and arms making her wonder where else he had piercings. It was strange she had seen his picture before, having a subscription to Sorcerer's Weekly's Fiore addition to keep an eye on her brother, but this was the first time she had thought Gajeel Redfox was breath taking.

Xally was trying to figure out a way to introduce herself to the man, when his eyes finally collided with her and it was like her entire soul shifted. Gajeel's lips moved, but he was so far away that Xally had no idea what he had said. Only that he had decided to move towards her. Each step bringing him closer to her and Xally was breathless with anticipation. Never before had she felt this way! It was thrilling! Xally had always been the most cautious of her siblings, but suddenly she felt like she would throw caution to the wind for this man.

_**"Mine, my mate!"** _

Gasping Xally couldn't believe what he had just said. She had a dragon slayer for a mate! A man who would love her unconditionally for the rest of their lives! A man who she had been destined for since her birth! When she had found out Emzadi and Cristoff would have other halves made just for them she had been a little jealous, wanting that kind of connection, but she had never really thought she might get it.

"I'm Xally Pradesh, it's a pleasure to meet you mate," she said smirking as she stepped up to him allowing a little mischief to take over her. Running her hands over his chest she practically melted at the feeling of hard muscle, her mate really was gorgeous. Their mating would be fun. "Tell dad my mate found me and that he'll see me when the mating process is over, if any of you bug us for anything other then a major emergency before we are ready you will regret it."  
Not giving her brothers a chance to respond Xally grabbed Gajeel's hand and dragged him off. She remembered that Nurem always said it was best to start the mating process as soon as possible. That the mates were in danger until it was completed and could become ill once initial contact had been made.

Nurem had also said there was also a chance of rejecting a mate and meeting a secondary match way into the future, but there was no way Xally would do that. She knew of Gajeel's iffy past, but she honestly didn't care. He had redeemed himself ten fold since then. And if the two women he had wronged the most could forgive him, one of them enough that she became his kin, then there was nothing to fear with him. Besides it's not like he had been a part of a dark guild, his guild had been legal if taking part in some questionable missions.

It was shocking to her that she would meet her own mate before her older siblings met theirs, but Xally knew they would be happy for her. Dad would be ecstatic that there was a new addition to the family and the chance for more grandchildren, and then planning her wedding to Gajeel before the mating marks had a chance to properly set. She was just glad she had met him after she knew Emzadi was safe, otherwise their mating might not be so easy, she would have been too focused on her sister to really give any thought to accepting Gajeel immediately and would have put the both of them through a lot of pain.

"This is my room, make me yours Gajeel. I want to be your mate."

* * *

Flying in the air with Zen had been amazing, Lucy had forgotten how peaceful a flight in the air was, with the wind her worries just seemed to drift away. Spending time with her youngest son even if neither of them were talking while they enjoyed the air reminded her of how much she had missed him. Even when her memories were still hidden from her there had always been a hole deep in her heart, where Arman and the boys belonged. Her stubbornness and persistence in wanting to keep them safely out of her problems made it so it was filling as quickly as it should, but she no longer felt so empty. Just having one person she could turn to seemed to brighten everything up more then she thought it would.

Unfortunately eventually they had to go back to the ground. With everything that had been going on, Lucy wasn't going to risk worrying anyone at White Sea by being gone for too long. And she wasn't really comfortable being away from the little ones for too long, worrying about what they might spill around Erik, their natural trust towards dragons and slayers might convince them to tell him something they weren't supposed to. Things that would raise a lot of questions for her. Plus she was still unsure of who had attacked their father. It was too bad phoenix's had natural defenses, even if it kept everyone from finding out they existed, it would have helped a lot if Kaleb could have at least been able to look in their minds to see who had attacked their father. Even if they didn't consciously remember what he looked like Kaleb's magic would have been able to see what they might be repressing. A large part of her was afraid _**he**_ was back and behind the attack. Meaning now wasn't really the time to get distracted by her youngest son or anything else.

"Any time you want to fly just ask," Zen told her kissing her cheek lightly before heading inside the guild.

Lucy found herself frozen outside. Needing time to compose herself to make sure she wouldn't give anything away. If anyone had seen the kiss on the cheek she knew they would completely misconstrue what was going on with her and her son, and it made her a little sick to her stomach that people might think that about them, not that she could blame anyone if they came to that conclusion since they didn't know her actual relationship with Zen. Her youngest probably had women throwing themselves at him all the time. Hiding who she really was with everyone other then Zen was going to be more complicated then she thought if she had to be careful of every action and reaction she had around her son.

Opening the door Lucy immediately froze once again, wishing she had better control over herself lately but too much had been going on, because sitting in the guild already was Natsu. He was shockingly wrapped around Vander kissing the other male with a ferocity that surprised Lucy. Even if Natsu didn't care who he had liaisons with he had never moved this quickly before preferring to test someone's power before sharing pleasure to make sure they could handle him. Yet they couldn't be mates or Natsu would have already lead Vander to the nearest bedroom to begin the mating process. Despite that Vander was keeping Natsu distracted enough that he hadn't even noticed her yet, usually after they were separated for too long Natsu had to make sure his scent was all over her again. Warning other predators that she was Kin and not to be messed with, it was something all of the slayers did for Kin, and knowing their instincts Lucy didn't fight it.

Looking around knowing if one of the slayers from her guild was here the rest would be too considering Laxus's promise, Lucy was shocked to not find Gajeel or Laxus anywhere in the guild. Wendy was sitting with Charle and Happy, chatting excitedly with Cristoff who was showing her some aspects of his magic. Bix really should have made sure Wendy got an introduction to Cristoff a lot earlier. He was really the only one in the world who could teach Wendy things about her healing magic, in relation to dragon slaying magic, that could help her improve even more. Instead of having to learn from trial by error and the few things that Grandine had left with Porlyuscia.

"Lucy-nee!" Wendy shouted excitedly darting forward using wind to quicken her pace before she had practically knocked Lucy over, the only thing keeping Lucy from landing flat on her back was that she had braced herself before hand.

"Hi Wendy, where's Laxus and Gajeel?"

"Master Laxus was supposed to meet us a couple hours ago after he went to visit someone urgently, but never showed up. He had charged me with keeping the boys under control and when they started getting too rowdy I thought it was better to just come to White Sea. As for Gajeel-nii while he is currently with his mate, shockingly Cristoff-sama's youngest sister turned out to be his mate, and the two of them left for some privacy!"

Wendy squealed happily. Lucy herself was shocked. Although oddly enough Gajeel and Xally did seem to make a good match. Gajeel might be rough around the edges, but he was a softy at heart. For the longest time Lucy had thought Levy was his mate, and what had happened between them had kept him from realizing it, but now she knew that Gajeel hadn't been holding that in. She was happy that Gajeel had found his mate and that she was such a sweet woman.  
Oh it was sort of funny that in a round-a-bout way Gajeel was sort of her son-in-law through mating. Lucy couldn't hold in her laughter at that. It was just such a shocking thought that she couldn't help it. Just imaging Gajeel trying to argue with her and her giving him a glare, causing him to say yes mom I'm sorry, like a little boy who had realized he was in the wrong. It was almost tempting enough to just come clean so she could see the look on Gajeel's face when he found out, but her fear for her family's safety weighed more.

Although where was Laxus? It wasn't like him to be irresponsible enough to not inform Wendy if he was going to be late. She hoped nothing bad had happened to him. Maybe they should go search for him?

"Don't worry about the Bossman Cosplayer, he has a lot of friends here in Bosco he probably just got delayed."

Turning to look at Bix she wondered how he could so clearly read her sometimes and then be completely clueless at others. "Fine, so what's going on with Natsu and your brother? Natsu's not usually the type to start kissing someone suddenly."

"No clue. Vander just slided up to Natsu the moment he came into the guild and the next thing everyone knew they were playing tonsil hockey. Dad was sort of disappointed it didn't end up with another of his children being mated. He's going to get so much worse now that Xally's found her life partner, bugging the rest of us to try and find someone to settle down with."

Bix looked truly horrified at the idea. It was odd to Lucy she would have thought Bix would be looking forward to finding someone, or maybe he was just horrifed at the thought of his father trying to pressure him. Despite his pervertedness at times Bix really did want to take the time to find that perfect match for him. Or maybe his horror was just at the thought that he would be getting Gajeel as a brother-in-law and be related to three dragon slayers now.  
Oh Gajeel was probably going to leave Fairy Tail now. Xally wasn't the type to leave her entire family behind and Gajeel would do anything for his mate. It was bitter sweet. Lucy knew she would eventually be heading back and keeping minimal contact with her family, unable to see them every day because she was needed at Fairy Tail. And even if she wasn't she wouldn't put herself through the torture of seeing Arman every day and knowing she couldn't have him. But at least Gajeel would finally find his happiness and have a real family to belong to. It would be a bit of an adjustment for him, but it's not like he wouldn't still be in contact with everyone, it would just be like he was on really long missions.

"It's romantic though!" Wendy protested giving Bix the stink eye. "Mates are really important to dragon slayers. I can't wait to meet mine when I'm older! Besides your father is just showing how much he loves you, and there's nothing wrong with babies. They are adorable. And considering how close you've been to Tilon-kun you like babies to."

Wendy had apparently even met the little phoenix's well Lucy was gone. Although she wondered where the little ones were now. She hadn't seen them in her look around the guild, nor had she seen Erik.

"Speaking of Tilon where are he and his sisters?"

"Oh Erik-nii took them upstairs, they were getting a little too excited. Those poor things have been through so much. Oh and Cristoff-sama's older brother Master Kaleb offered us rooms upstairs. Apparently Master Laxus already has a room in Master Kaleb's mansion so he thought it would be better for us all to be together."

Having the dragon slayers up there could be a disaster or a blessing. Lucy didn't know what she would do if she had another nightmare. If she would go to Natsu or Wendy, or if she would find her way back to Arman's room. Unlike the Pradesh siblings who surprisingly hadn't brought up her nightmare, Natsu would punch first and ask questions later if he found her in bed with an 'older' man. Especially since the most annoying thing about being a phoenix is when her cycle's restarted she became a virgin all over again, which would make Natsu even more protective of her since he wanted to keep her safe from idiots. That or Natsu might even think Arman is good for her and try to push them together as much as he possibly could. It could honestly go either way with her best friend. He would do anything to protect her, but her happiness mattered more to him. If he even had a hint that she had feelings for Arman he would get involved with an intensity that could rival Mira's.

"That was nice of him. I'm currently rooming up there after helping Emzadi. The room's are pretty nice."

"Oh yeah I forgot Lucy-nee Erik-nii wanted to see you when you got back. To check your blood to make sure the poison is completely out of your system."  
"I'll go see him later. I'm feeling fine right now."

"Cosplayer we are just worried about you. Hellspawn are dangerous and there a lot of people who care about you and want to make sure you're healthy."  
"I know Bix, but honestly I feel fine. Yes the Hellspawn got me by chance of luck because of how many there were. I've fought them before, it's what my swords were made for. They had been left with the Heartfilia family after the original owner disappeared."

It was true. Someone had made sure her swords were with Layla for when she eventually found her way there, or maybe they had been left with Layla by whoever had taken her out of Pergrande. Lucy had gotten good at twisting the truth without lying, so that she could explain things away when her phoenix life overlapped with whatever life she was currently living.

Although considering the shock in Bix's eyes he hadn't expected to find out she had encountered Hellspawn before. Anytime any were loose they were drawn to attack her no matter what their orders. Her bright soul called to them as the best meal that would make it harder for them to be killed.  
"Don't care what you think right now Princess, you are going to be checked over by Cobra," Loke demanded. Not even letting her respond that he opened his gate on his own again and started dragging her upstairs.

Tilon gurgled at her the moment he saw her, Celestinia was smiling from where she Ariqa and Nira were hovering over Erik his hair being braided into tiny little braids. Luckily they hadn't started braiding any feathers in with it. It was cute how good with children Erik was. Holding her arms out Lucy picked up Tilon glad to be able to cuddle with the adorable baby boy. She had missed the clean baby smell and the fire and smoke mixture that made up a baby phoenix. It had been something her own children had lacked, but it had made her happy knowing they wouldn't be stuck in endless cycle for eternity.  
"Lucy-sama!" Nira squealed having finally noticed her and the little girl ran away from Erik throwing herself into Lucy's arms.

"Hello little one," she cooed allowing her soul song to chirp louder smiling at the glee that filled Nira's face, even as Erik showed more confusion. "You wanted to check if the poison was completely gone Erik?"

"Yeah, just a sec Starshine. Girls I need to get up to make sure Starshine's no longer sick. Then we can continue as much as you guys want."  
He would make a good father one day. The older two girls frowned, but allowed Erik up. It was odd feeling his fangs lightly nick her skin to taste her blood, it wasn't the first time Erik had done this, but it did make her wonder how he had never noticed there was something different about her blood.

"Yeah you're clear, but still take it easy for the next few days, don't need you fainting because the healing process made you weak."

"Of course Erik. I'll leave you to the children."

Lucy left the room to the sound of laughter and a thump as the little one's knocked Erik over again. Even Tilon had crawled over to Erik when she had put them down. It was going to hurt Erik once the children's mother finally found them, he had gotten close to them in such a short amount of time. It made her sad, but the children would be better off back home where they didn't have to constantly hide who and what they truly are.


	10. 10

Chapter 10:

Beck was glad that his Aunt Minda had come for a visit, but he was a little confused. The moment her eyes had landed on Lucy Heartfilia she had burst into tears and Kaleb had looked at her oddly. Before his eyes met Lucy's with a calculating look. As if she was a puzzle he needed to solve.

It was strange, but a lot of strange things had been happening lately. Like Laxus Dreyar being Emzadi's mate. No one had expected that especially since the two had clearly slept together without triggering either of their dragon souls, Emzadi was pregnant and no one knew exactly when she was due. It wasn't like anyone had ever been around a pregnant dragon slayer before. So Emzadi had to stay with at least one person at all times, just in case she suddenly went into labor. And there was Xally with Gajeel Redfox, they seemed even stranger to him then Laxus and Emzadi.

So maybe it wasn't too strange that his Aunt was acting weird. There was clearly something going on with the water in White Sea lately. Or it could just be that his Aunt saw how Arman looked at Lucy, and knew she didn't have a chance. The young blonde might be doing her best to deter Arman's affections, but the eldest Pradesh was patient beyond belief.

* * *

Lucy knew a lot of people were watching over her as Arman practically fawned. Even Minda who had yet to approach her for an introduction. She wondered if her friend was still holding a torch for Arman, she hadn't known when she was alive, but she could hear the whispers around the guild now. Everyone was wondering how her best friend was taking Arman fawning over a younger woman, clearly smitten with her, when Minda had been trying to catch his eye for years. It made her hurt knowing Minda had to have given up on Arman for her. Making her recall things from the past.

_Ganier couldn't believe how stubborn Tesso and Minda were. She could clearly see sparks between the two of them, but anytime she tried to bring it up they both looked so confused she knew they weren't faking. If those two would just remove their heads from their butts they would be married by now._

_Minda had mentioned a mystery boy she had feelings for that she had apparently shared pleasure with on and off for years, but Ganier had never met him, so in her eyes he wasn't worthy of her best friend. If he was she would have met him by now and he would have taken Minda on a proper date. Only her brother was good enough for her best friend._

* * *

_"Honestly Minda I don't want kids, I'll leave them to you and Tessa," Ganier said sticking her tongue out at her best friend._

_It wasn't that Ganier didn't like kids, it's just some deep part of her was terrified of having children. Like if she had any they would have a terrible fate and die way too soon. Ganier felt ill at ease any time she even thought of the possibility of having children. Her heart was too soft she had barely been able to handle losing her mother, there was no way she could handle losing her children if she ever had any. Yet she didn't know how to explain to her best friend. Most people would just say she was being paranoid and that everyone was afraid of having kids before they were born. Ganier knew though that her feeling wasn't born from paranoia even if she couldn't place why she felt that way._

_Minda's face was flushed probably at the thought of even thinking of having children with Tesso, or maybe it was because she was thinking about the sex she and Tesso would have to have in order to even create children. Both of her favorite people were still being stubborn about their feelings towards each other. They would both blush and stammer whenever someone even suggested that they might have a future together, but they still denied that anything was between them. Even though whenever even of them were upset each other was the first person they turned to. Ganier was certain if she could see souls like a Seith mage that she would see her brother's soul and Minda's trying to reach out towards each other. They were made for each other, and she wished one day they wouldn't be too blind to see that._

_"Oh Ganier you're the most motherly person I've ever met, you would make an amazing mother." Minda just completely ignored the insinuation about her and Tesso. Something she had done every time Ganier tried to make her slip lately. Especially when Minda spoke about the mysterious man who had claimed her heart._

_"Maybe, but I'm not interested. Hell I don't even think I'll even ever find someone I want to spend the rest of my life with. There's guys I occasionally share pleasure with of course, but none of them have ever lit a spark in me. I've never met anyone who makes my heart beat fast or anything even close."_

_Sometimes Ganier wondered if there was something wrong with her. She had never really had a crush on anyone. Once in a while she found a guy attractive or handsome and would share pleasure with him, but it was always about lust never anything deeper. Making her wonder if there was some defective part of her heart. Familial love and friend love was easy, romantic love seemed impossible. As a little girl she had dreamed about her own wedding one day. Seeing how in love her own parents were had made her long for that. A love that would make her breathe catch and her heart and soul feel like she had met her other half. Love that would consume her completely. A man or woman who would feel the exact same way about her. Now she had almost completely given up on finding that rare love. What was the point continuing to look when she still hadn't found anyone who stirred feelings inside her?_

_"You'll find someone one day Ganier, you're a wonderful woman, and I'll help you when you finally find the one. Sometimes people just don't feel anything until they meet that other person who was born just for them, and those loves are always strong and life long."_

Had she been so blind wanting her brother and best friend together, that she hadn't realized she had stolen the man her best friend loved? How could Minda have calmly come to their wedding? Her heart must have been shattering at the time. Minda had always seemed to put everyone else over herself. And she had given up a chance with Arman to convince Ganier that he wasn't going to leave her.

_"Minda he's just wonderful. He asked me to marry him and I said yes! I can see myself having children if it's with Arman Pradesh. You're the best friend a girl could ask for! Thank you so much for introducing us, my finding love is all thanks to you. Will you be my Maid of Honor?"_

_"Of course Ganier, I'm glad you're happy."_

"Are you alright Lucy?"

"Just lost in thoughts of the past Arman."

It was so strange seeing people from her past as Ganier. It always made her have flashbacks of their lives. Scenes of importance. It would have completely given her away if Kaleb was capable of seeing into her head.

Being around Arman was the worst though. She would constantly forget that she was Lucy now, not Ganier, and go as if to kiss him before backing off. She knew Arman had realized knew he was being patient with her, but she didn't know what to do about it. She couldn't tell Arman who she was, and as long as that was between them she couldn't in good conscience enter a relationship with him.

* * *

Kaleb watched his father fawning over Lucy and wondered at Minda's words. His father's old friend seemed to think Lucy was Ganier come back to them. Apparently her aura and energy reminded Minda of Ganier in a way no one else ever had. Like it was exactly the same, but more so at the same time. Like something had been smothering her aura when she had been Ganier Pradesh. It was strange, it was impossible, but at the same time Kaleb couldn't dismiss it out right. Because he had seen how his father acted around her, differently then he had any of the women his children had tried to set him up with over the years, and he could see the love in his father's eyes. Dad had always talked about how it was love at first sight when he had first met their mother, and now here he was acting the same way towards a woman who appearance wise was the exact opposite of her yet spirtually she seemed to be almost the same according to people who had known both.

Not to mention how clingy Zen seemed to be around her as well. It made him wonder if there was a chance. Maybe today wasn't the best day to have tricked Kurino into coming over. Telling her that Farron was currently visiting the guild, but Kurino needed healing and something told him only Lucy Heartfilia could fix the woman he loved.

* * *

The moment the woman walked into White Sea Lucy could sense the darkness flowing off of her and corrupting her, but she could also sense the spirit underneath trying her hardest to break free. It reminded her of the Hunter and she was certain he was trying to use this woman to spy on Bosco for some reason or another. Probably hoping to find the clan, or find her once again. He never stopped trying to find her, seeing her as the kill who got away. Lucy couldn't risk that woman being near her sons while she was still infected. Couldn't risk the hunter being able to sense the slight bit of phoenix abilities her sons had most likely inherited.

So even though she knew it could get her into a lot of trouble, especially since she recognized what the jewelry the woman was wearing meant, Lucy knocked her out with a swift punch not wanting to warn anyone that something was amiss with the magic build up it would have taken to knock her out the normal way. Not giving anyone time to react. Although the next moment everyone in White Sea had turned to face her with wide eyes wondering what they should. They had gotten to know her over the last couple of weeks, knew what she was like and that she did nothing without a reason, but she had just attacked their crown princess. All she did in return was summon her spirits to clear a path to the infirmary. Using White Sea's obvious shock against them for the time being.

"Cris, Kaleb, Bix, I'll need your help. I'm surprised she's held on this long."

Then she just lifted the princess up like she weighed nothing. The darkness had a deep hold on her and was only detectable by someone who had lived through it. Lucy would have to find the wound from the sword before she could treat it. If she hadn't had the scar under her heart she wouldn't have been able to even realize what was wrong with the princess, there was no way anyone else would have been able to notice. Although the immaculate light chamber would have tried to take it away and should have killed the princess in the process, since the removal of the spy was a delicate process that could only be done by a phoenix.

"Cosplayer what?"

"She's barely holding on Bix. The parasite is hiding deep in her soul and has been controlling her for a very long time. Anything you three see in here you must keep secret, and I must ask that you completely ward off the infirmary from everyone, even including your own family."

"Lucy. We need more."

"Kaleb she will die soon if I don't help her, it's only because of her inner strength it hasn't killed her already. If you trust me at all, just do what I say and I promise I will explain everything later."

It was obvious by the look in Kaleb's eyes that he was in love with the princess. And he immediately started getting to work. Meaning he had probably noticed there was something wrong, but had never been able to find the cause. So she just hoped they wouldn't react to badly when she let out her wings. A phoenix feather was the most important part of getting one of these parasites out, although she would also have to use one of her swords. Zen would have been an asset right now, but she was afraid of what the parasite was projecting to it's master. She couldn't risk either of her sons being in here until it was completely destroyed.

Once Lucy was certain the infirmary was completely warded she pressed two fingers to the wound on her chest and used the residue she had never been able to get rid of to track down the scar that hosted the parasite in the princess. It only took her a few extra minutes to find the small scar at the base of the Princess's skull, so insignificant no one would have realized anything was wrong with it even if they had possibly spotted it especially since the Princess had fought in wars in the past.

Summoning her right sword from her earring she just prayed the trust the men had in her wouldn't be tested during the process. "Hold her down, I can't risk cutting anywhere other then the scar." It showed they trusted her when the three did as she asked without questions and Lucy carefully wielded the blade being careful to only cut along the base line of the scar and she watched as the black goop oozed out instead of human blood. Normal blood would have meant she had cut too far and would have meant a much more lengthy procedure as she kept the black poison from infiltrating the Princess's blood stream. That was the only good thing about these types of scars the poison stayed within the scar to keep the parasite sealed in the host body. Otherwise the spy would die too quickly, something the parasite's Master didn't want.

Stepping back far enough she wouldn't risk hitting them she allowed her wings out for the first time since she had become Lucy Heartfilia. Wishing she had the time to bask in the warmth of her wings instead she plucked the pulsing feather from the middle of her right wing. Ignoring the incredulous looks Bix, Kaleb, and Cris were giving her Lucy took the shaft of the feather and plunged it into the wound. Grinning in triumph as she hooked onto the parasite that had been taking control of Kurino's soul.

"This is where I need you Bix. Keep her soul from following the parasite. Cris keep her heart rate normal, Kaleb keep holding her down and just speak into her mind. Comfort her in any way you can. This is where everything will get tricky."

Summoning her magic into the feather Lucy allowed her aura to take over the entire room. Knowing the parasite would follow the phoenix magic out of Kurino's body, and it be her job to make sure the parasite didn't find a way into her own body, or the bodies of any one else in the room. The darkness was making her sick and she wished to pull away. But she kept fighting knowing this woman needed her to free her. That her soul had been crying out for too long without anyone hearing her.

As she moved the silver moonlight and green glow of Cris and Bix's magic joined in with her. Until all three magic types swirled together and the parasite came screeching out of the wound. A twisted version of a true baby phoenix that the Hunter used with his dark magic to spy for him. It showed the princess's strength that it hadn't grown into a full sized phoenix and over took her entire body, otherwise Lucy would have had to take it out through the princess's heart which would have been a lot more difficult.

Summoning her left sword Lucy smirked as she cut the dark thing down destroying it completely her right sword would need to be decontaminated before she could use it again, whispering a prayer for the light egg it had once been. Hoping that now the being it had supposed to been would find peace in the next life. Hiding her wings away Lucy could feel her chest completely soaked in blood, and found herself collapsing into darkness.

* * *

Kaleb had watched the weird ritual Lucy had done with wide eyes. He had been the one to call Kurino here hoping that Lucy would be able to help him find out what was wrong with Kurino for once and for all, but he had never expected anything like this. He hadn't expected to see Lucy cut into a scar on Kurino's neck that had oozed black goop instead of blood, or for Lucy to suddenly sport flaming wings of a mixture of color. To pluck one of those flaming feathers and use it to pull this strange creature out of Kurino's neck.

After that he had finally been able to start talking with the Kurino of his childhood again. 'Pain so much pain, no one ever hears.' 'I'm here Kurino. It's Kaleb we are going to help you, just follow the sound of my voice, keep fighting.' 'Kaleb it hurts.' 'I know, but you need to stay strong. Do you remember the day we first met.' 'Yes.' 'Let's go back to it. Go back into our memories and fight this thing with pure light.'

_Dad had dragged him to the Palace. Saying it was time for him to meet his oldest friend. Kaleb had only been with Dad and Farron for a few weeks and he had been too afraid to meet other people. He was still trying to get used to hearing everyone in his head without getting headaches, and he had been trying to just stay on the estate where he was surrounded by soothing minds. Instead Dad said he needed to learn to be around other people so he could shut them out when he needed to, and filter out to those he wanted to hear._

_So Kaleb had come with him and gotten bored. Following a singing voice he had arrived in a beautiful rose garden. Where he had seen a little girl covered in paint splashing around in the fountain singing a song about freedom, a maid nearby trying to get her to leave the fountain so she could get changed. Seeing the freedom and pure happiness coming from the girl's mind Kaleb had laughed and gone closer._

_"Hi. Can I play with you?" he asked. For the first time being able to just focus on one person. The girl was looking at him and giggling in her mind. Thinking he was cute and wondering how he didn't know who she was, but she was happy just to have someone not treat her different from the first meeting._

_"I'd like that. You can call me Kuri, what's your name?"_

_"Kaleb."_   
_Somehow with just those words Kaleb had started his first crush. Falling in love with Kuri and having fun playing in the fountain with her. Giggling like crazy he had wished he could stay in the fountain with her forever. And then he only felt sadness. Because he could hear her thoughts when Farron arrived and found out she was the princess and wished for Farron to be her King in the future._

'You were so carefree back then. Not caring if anyone saw you covered in paint and dancing in the fountain. I miss those days from before you fully realized what being the crown princess meant. I'm sorry it took me so long to find someone who could help you Kuri.' 'You noticed though didn't you. Even though no one else did. That's the real reason you never told my father about my abuse of power.' 'I wanted to save you. I just didn't know how. We will get through this Kuri. My friend will help you and then we will find whoever caused this and destroy them. It will be a long road to recovery, but my family and I will help. Once I explain everything they will all forgive you. I forgave you a long time ago. When I realized it wasn't really you. I just could never find what was causing you to act this way.'

He was so afraid the way he was talking would show her he was in love with her. He knew she loved Farron even now, Farron was the one the parasite had tried to snare in it's grasp. What might have happened if the parasite had succeeded? Or was there a chance the parasite had been the one to want Farron, not Kurino?

Kaleb was almost at his wit's end when he heard a thud and found himself back in the infirmary. Glancing around he saw Cris and Bix hovering over Lucy the strange wings no longer in sight. A pool of blood coming from underneath her and he almost screamed. Not understanding how Lucy had gotten hurt because he had been too focused on Kurino. She had just helped them save Kurino and now it was their turn to save her.

When Cris pulled up her shirt to see where the blood was coming from Kaleb saw a mass of scar tissue. Inflamed tissue that had ripped open, red and gold blood flowing out of her, right from where her heart should be. It now made sense why they never saw Lucy in the baths even though Bix said she loved baths and never seemed to mind if people saw her when her clothes were destroyed by Natsu. The Boscan baths would have washed away whatever she had been using to hide the scar.

'Kaleb?' Kurino's questioning voice echoed in his head, 'I'm still here Kuri, it's just my friend who helped you collapsed, now we need to help her.' 'Ok.'  
Kurino went silent after that as if sensing that Kaleb needed his full attention on the matter at hand. Cris was panicking as he tried to heal the wound. It seemed to give off the same dark foul feeling the wound on Kurino's neck had made when Lucy had cut it open. She had been infected before, that was how she had known how to help Kurino, but hers seemed different. They were caused by the same darkness, but Lucy's lacked the extra presence of the parasite. Something Kaleb felt would always leave a lasting impression in Kurino's body.

* * *

Zen was concerned about what was going on within the infirmary, he was worried about his mother the dark look on her face in the nanosecond before she had hit Princess Kurino was enough to send chills up his spine. It had been two hours already and it had actually surprised Zen that palace guards hadn't been dispatched to White Sea, but so far no one had actually ratted his mother out. Perhaps because Kaleb himself was in the infirmary and everyone in White Sea trusted Kaleb's judgement. Not to mention his strength. Trusting if he was helping that something was truly wrong with their Princess and that he would call for help if he needed it.

And then he could feel his bond with his mother become weaker then it had been since they had remet. Panicking he didn't even care that he had been locked out for some reason he rushed towards the infirmary door cutting through the wards, not even stopping to think of how he might explain why he had suddenly burst in when he spotted his mother. Cris was hovering over her and a pool of blood was underneath her. Her heart looked like it had been torn into from this angle. Kneeling down beside Cris he hoped he had learned enough about his pwn healing magic to be of help.

"Wendy," he heard Kaleb call from the edge of his focus, almost all of his attention was on his mother's prone body. Three healers, hopefully that would be enough to help, he couldn't lose her now. Not after he had just found her again.

Yet when nothing seemed to be happening even with all of their help Zen remembered the young phoenixes that were currently in the guild. A phoenix might look similiar to a human in appearance, but their physiology was probably different. Perhaps the young ones knew a way to help his mother. So he tracked down the oldest girl, hoping she could help him save his mother.

"Celestina, Lucy is hurt is there something we can try that will help us heal her? Her body is resisting everything we have tried. She is losing a lot of blood if we do not stop the bleeding soon we might lose her."

"Her mate. If he shares energy with her at the same time the dragons and you heal her she should be fine."

His father. His father was the key to saving his mother's life, but what did she mean share energy. Perhaps if his father kissed his mother and poured the feelings he had for her through their bond. So far he hadn't realized why he had a bond to her, but his father was smart eventually he would realize the truth with no help from Zen. He couldn't explain why he knew his father would be the key due to the promise he had made his mother, but his father would trust his judgement in this.

"DAD," he yelled not having the time to find his father through traditional means. Just tracking down the young phoenix had taken a lot of time and who knew how much longer his mother had left.

"Zen..." he didn't even allow his father time to talk instead dragging him to the infirmary. Glad that his years as a gladiator had made him stronger then his father who was most likely stronger then all of his siblings.

* * *

Arman didn't know why Zen had suddenly shouted for him or started dragging him to the infirmary, but figured it had something to do with Lucy he had felt a similar pain in his chest from when he had lost Ganier only minutes before. Something was clearly wrong since both his son and Wendy had darted towards the infirmary. Kaleb looking panicked when he called the youngest dragon slayer to him. The young woman who he had bonded with so quickly, just like he had his late wife, it seemed Arman would always fall in love at first sight. Since none of the relationships he had tried to start since his wife had been able to mean anything. Inside until now he had always felt like he was betraying Ganier. Now he felt like he could finally let that feeling go, as long as it was with Lucy Heartfilia.

"Zen..."

"There's no time dad. This might seem odd, but you need to kiss her while we heal her," Arman was gaping at his son as he took in the blood pouring from Lucy's heart. A familiar scar he had seen for years. It was the same one Ganier had. And considering he couldn't see Lucy's heart he figured she also had a smaller heart like Ganier had.

It should be impossible. She was too young to be his wife. Her aura was brighter too and her soul he couldn't hear it. Yet how else could he explain the fact that Lucy Heartfilia had the same scar as Ganier. His wife was the one laying on the ground in front of him. Somehow she had lived. And considering how Zen was acting his son knew, but for some reason had never told the rest of the family.

Knowing he would only get his answers if Ganier woke up Arman listened to his son, laying his lips on his wife spilling all the feelings he held for her through their bond. Finally feeling it reforming now that he was aware of who she was. He couldn't lose her not again, not when he had just found her again!

* * *


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

Cristoff didn't know what was going on. They had been having trouble healing Lucy again and he was wondering if once again they would need to bring her to the chambers of immaculate light to heal her when Zen left the room coming back with his father. He hadn't heard what Zen had whispered to dad, but the next thing he knew his father's lips were on Lucy's and the wound was starting to accept the healing magic he and Wendy had still been pouring into it. It was like nothing he had ever seen before. His dad's magic was mixing with Lucy's allowing their magic to heal her.

He wondered if this had something to do with her wings. Cristoff knew dragon slayers and their magic considering he was one and he knew the wings had nothing to do with dragons, but the wings when he seen them had made him instantly claim her as kin. Nurem had once mentioned a type of magic, or rather a group of individuals who had been on Earthland longer then Dragons who allowed dragons to migrate her thousands of years ago which had created a bond between them. Nurem hadn't however told him who these individuals were or what type of magic they wielded. Could Lucy be one of them?

All he knew at this point was that Lucy was finally healing and when he briefly locked eyes with his older brother/Guild Master he looked like he was about to fall over. His eyes locked on his father in shock and no mental prodding at their link seemed to break Kaleb out of it. For the first time in Cristoff's memory the family link was down and it had something to do with Lucy's scar and why his father looked like a missing piece had just joined his soul.

* * *

Kaleb couldn't believe what he was hearing from his father. Lucy Heartfilia was somehow the mother he had grown up hearing about. Dad was certain of it. After having seen her scar and considering that Lucy had a lot of unexplainable things about her and the way Zen treated her Kaleb couldn't even think of trying to convince his father he was wrong. Lucy or should he be calling her mom? That was so weird to think of. Either way whatever he should be calling her in the future had a lot of explaining to do once she woke up.

Would things work out between the two of them? Or had too much time passed. Kaleb knew his father had never stopped loving Ganier, but she was clearly different from the wife he had once known or else he would have recognized her the moment they had met again. Instead he had needed to see a scar to know who she was. Would their past love be enough? Or would his father get his heart broken all over again? But this time having to suffer the pain of knowing his wife was alive and that things just hadn't worked out between them.

Either way, whether they were a happy couple again or split up for good, Kaleb would stand by whatever decision his father made. Arman Pradesh deserved happiness and hopefully he was finally able to be one hundred percent happy once again.

* * *

Lucy woke with a gasp turning her head she was met with the sleeping form of Arman Pradesh. A heavy feeling in her hand showed that he had fallen asleep grasping her own hand tightly as if reassuring himself that she was there. Feeling the bandages on her chest she tried to move, but a scream wrenched out of her lips at the pain that small moment brought forward.

Arman's eyes popped open the moment the scream left her lips and he was turning around as if looking for a threat before he relaxed tracing soothing circles into her hand. "Shh love, don't move, you'll only pull the freshly healed skin. It took us a long time to close it."

His eyes were brimming with so much love, there was no way he hadn't realized who she was the moment he had seen her scar. Yet he wasn't demanding explanations from her. Instead he was showing her why she had fallen in love with him. Waiting until she was ready to explain. That or he believed that she wasn't even truly aware of who she was.

It was only then that she became aware of the fact that she wasn't wearing a shirt. Only bandages around her chest, to keep her from bleeding if her wound reopened most likely, kept her modesty covered. She was half naked around Arman and even if she wasn't anywhere near healthy enough to act on her base desires she still felt a flush of arousal knowing that Arman could at least see the shape of her breasts. She wondered what he thought of her current body, she knew he was still attracted to her the way he had been acting around her since she had met him again proved that, but did he prefer her old form?  
He deserved the truth. He had deserved it long before now, but she had just been so terrified. Not only of him, but of how Arman would react to her being so young again. Not that he seemed to have aged much since her death. To her not even being human. Her different title's and her past, just everything had built up so much she had kept her silence. She shouldn't have though, they had been given something most people would die for, a true second chance at their first love. With that love just as strong as it had always been. He thought she had died and she had just let him keep believing that even after her memories returned.

"Arman I..."

"It's alright. For now you can heal. Tell me everything later, I'm just glad that you are alive. I've missed you so much and there is much we have to discuss. For the moment however you are under strict order of bed rest with no stress."

If there had been any doubt he knew his words proved that she had been right. He knew once upon a time she had been Ganier Pradesh his wife. Giving her one of his breathtaking smiles she couldn't stop herself from grabbing his head and dragging him down, although once he figured out what she wanted their lips slanted together. It wasn't rest like he wanted her to have, but she was just so full of overwhelming love for him. She needed to feel this reassurance that he was still attracted to her, feel the love pouring from their bond, and know that he had been waiting for her all this time. It was euphoric in a way she could barely understand.

His lips were still perfect again her own, as if they had always been made for each other. Arman was applying gentle pressure as if afraid of losing control and hurting her. It made her want to make him lose control and she nibbled lightly on his lips wanting him to open them fully so she could slip her tongue inside.

"Dad that's not exactly what I had in my mind when I said bed rest," the laughing voice of Cristoff broke through their kiss ending it much sooner then Lucy wanted before she could deepen it and test her husband's control.

Arman laughed at the look on her face, "we have all the time in the world when you are better love. For now Cristoff is right."

"Don't leave," she begged.

"Never again."

The confused look on Cristoff's face was enough to show her that not all of her husband's adopted children had been let in on who she really was. Arman had probably wanted to confirm how much she herself knew before he approached the topic with the children. It was still so odd to think her physical body was younger then his adopted children, even if she herself was millennia older.

Besides it's not like he was the one who had left. Unless if he had been blaming himself this entire time for her death as Ganier. Thinking that his job as Ambassador was the reason she had died, blaming himself this entire time. He couldn't have known what the backstabbing Pergrandians had planned. What happened to her and Zen was in no way his fault she would make sure he realized that as well.

"What happened to you? That scar isn't normal! It has the same foul feel as that thing you took out of the Princess."

"I got it a long time ago from someone who didn't think I should have ever been born. The dark magic never manifested in me the same way it did in Princess Kurino, instead of using me as a spy it was supposed to kill me. I'm not sure if you've noticed while healing me, but my heart is much smaller then an average person's should be. My heart being an abnormal size is the only thing that saved my life. The weapon used on me left it's mark and has been warning me every time someone with it's deplorable magic is near me. Considering Bosco's history I was certain the Princess wasn't a willing spy."

"What does Bosco's history have to do with this magic?!" Kaleb demanded from the door. The rest of his siblings were there with him, having obviously found out she was awake. The look Kaleb gave her was conflicted and she was certain he knew the truth, as a mind bender he must have heard his father come to the conclusion of her identity and was now unsure of how he should treat her, yet knowing that he needed the answers.

Seeing Bix in the door she didn't want to tell them the truth. Didn't want them to know what type of magic the mage hunting her wielded. Bix had only just gotten home as soon as it got out they might ban him from the country all over again.

"Because the man who did this is a dark Seith mage who's been alive for thousands of years. He's been hunting my people for the entire time, using us and the young of our bonded to create his twisted creatures.

"Perhaps I should start from the beginning. I was born Millennia ago, so long that even I've lost track of time..."

Bix looked so conflicted on finding out she had been hurt by a Seith mage. As if he couldn't believe that she wasn't like the prejudiced bigots of Bosco who had made a preteen flee the country because his magic had been banned. Later when they were alone she would make sure Bix knew that nothing someone else did would ever make her turn on him, heck nothing he did would make her turn on him. Otherwise she wouldn't have forgiven him after Fantasia. He should learn that she gave second chances more then anyone they knew.

"You're an immortal?"

"In a sense Kaleb. Every time my body is mortally wounded I restart my cycle. I'm not human, rather I'm a phoenix born. We are similar to humans except for the fact that we are able to shift our forms to that of a phoenix eventually. We are also able to learn human magics. The main differences in our physiology is that when our bodies die we burn and revert back to infant forms restarting our cycle. Age does not affect us, we will never die of something like old age, and it takes millennia for us to even get white in our hair. Instead we only die when illness or wounds afflict us.

"Although there are still ways for my people to die completely and not be reborn from the ashes. One of these ways is for a seith mage to destroy our soul. The death of a soul is something no one can recover from. Another is that we have finally had enough of life and we fade away eventually. Some illnesses can permanently kill us as well, as well as dark magic, but even I'm not fully certain of all the ways a Phoenix can die. I haven't lived with another of my kind since I was very young, after the Dark Seith tried to kill me and succeeded in killing my biological parents.

"For some reason he came after me. I never found out why. Even with him missing my heart I almost died, it was only with the help of my adoptive father that I survived. For thousands of years, he and I have been playing a game of cat and mouse. He is strong, but he was never as dangerous as other dark wizards. He doesn't got after other Seiths or humans, it was just easier for my people to go into hiding. We were the first clan of Bosco. Long before Bosco became a country, but my people have stayed to themselves."

It was better if they didn't know the girls and their brother were phoenixs they were still young enough that he might not be able to track them, their soul songs were so dim it was likely he couldn't track them. On the off chance he came to Bosco Lucy would give herself up to protect the little ones. Hopefully their family would show up soon to bring them home. Lucy wasn't even sure where the clan lived these days. She hadn't been home in so long, even her long memory couldn't tell where her clan would be. Time changed terrain so much that she didn't know Bosco as much as she had once upon a time.

"There's more your holding back," Farron accused. She wondered if he was picking up on the undercurrent of tension between her and his father, as well as two of his brothers. Zen had known for a while, but Kaleb had only just found out who she was. It actually surprised her that he hadn't informed the rest of his siblings who she was yet. Although maybe he was waiting for the full story. After all he didn't even know if she knew.

"There is much I'm holding back. I am millennia's old Farron. Trying to tell you everything would take too long. Plus there is someone else who deserves to hear much of what I'm holding back before it becomes common knowledge."

She wanted to hug her son. Apologize for leaving him with so few memories of her, but she would never regret her cycle restarting if it had meant her baby boy Zen had lived. When she finally confronted the ones who took her memories as Ganier she was going to make sure they regretted it. Zen had lived in suffering for longer then he should have. Stuck because whoever had taken her from the sight of the bombing hadn't allowed her to inform them she hadn't been alone.

Would Farron ever forgive her for having to grow up without a mother? Could he understand that she would have sacrificed everything for him as well. That she loved them more then anything. His first word had been Mama, he had been her sweet baby always wanting cuddles and acting so protective when she had been pregnant with Zen. He had even painted her toenails for her when she got to big to bend down herself. It had been a big mess, but he had done his best. Minda had laughed quite a bit about how rainbow like her toes had been. So of course she had made sure Farron had painted his Aunt Minnie's toes as well, her best friend hadn't been able to say no to those puppy dog eyes.

Lucy was glad Farron had been given more siblings. He had always had a big heart and growing up as an only child would have been difficult on him. How much had her poor sweet boy suffered thinking both his mother and baby brother were dead? Did he look back on that day and wish it was him? Had he become an ambassador because it was his dream, or because he had wanted revenge? There was so much she didn't know about her oldest son and she wanted to change it, but she was still so afraid. Afraid that they couldn't accept her reasonings for not telling them who she was the moment her memories had returned.

Fate had wanted her back in Bosco why else would Emzadi and her have met in such a bizarre twist of fate? But was it so she could become a part of her family again, or was it so she could finally face her biggest demon and end the deadlock for once and all?

* * *

Watching her father beside Lucy warmed Emzadi deeply. She was glad that her father had finally found someone who he could love. He had such a big heart and she had feared he would be alone. Now he had a woman he was working to woo and would soon have his first grandchildren.

Laxus was beside her growling whenever one of her brothers came to close to her belly. He had been so protective of her and their hatchlings since he found out he was going to be a father. He was her mate! Something she had dreamed of since the first time she had met him. It was still so hard to believe! That Laxus Dreyar was made for her.

It was so much easier for dragon slayers once they were ready to settle down they just had to find their mate, they never had to worry about how to confess how they felt. Her father would have much to do to allow Lucy full access to her heart, but if anyone could do it it was her father. He had a talent of opening up damaged souls. After all he had done it for each of his children. Hopefully he could do the same for Lucy.

Although it was a shock to find out Lucy was an immortal. A phoenix, the last time Emzadi had heard of any type of Phoenix magic was when her brother told her about Eclair and how she had to die to stop the rampaging ancient Phoenix machine. Had that been made by Lucy's people? Or had it been something designed by the dark Seith? Was it's design to lure in real Phoenix's so he could kill them?

Lucy was also being very careful to be beg. She spoke of her adoptive father like he was still alive, but for some reason Emzadi had the feeling that her adoptive father wasn't a Phoenix. What other immortal or long living creature or mage could have saved her life?

Was Lucy still in danger? She seemed to think the Dark Seith would still be after her. Was that why Lucy seemed so hard to get to know? Sure she had a bubbly personality and seemed so open, but on another level it was clear she wasn't really letting you in to her heart. The way Laxus had stiffened behind her when Lucy mentioned she wasn't even human had proven that he hadn't known. Most likely none of her guild mates had.  
"Blondie is your being a Phoenix how we got away from Tartaros?"

"No. My being a Phoenix had nothing to do with it. Any other Phoenix would have been just as stuck as the rest of you. But that's all I'm saying. I'm not ready to talk about much of my past. I've really only shared any of it with one person and he left a couple hundred years ago for his own safety. The world was too dangerous for him. He's no longer even a resident of Earthland. He was like a brother to me."

Lucy didn't elaborate any further. What more could she be hiding? Why did she feel she couldn't open up to them? Emzadi had thought Lucy was becoming closer to everyone the last few weeks, but she still didn't seem to trust them. It hurt knowing that Lucy had saved her life and wouldn't even open up to her.

* * *

Lucy couldn't believe Laxus had asked her about Tartaros in front of everyone. Barely anyone in the guild ever spoke of that dark time. Laxus had almost died, and blamed almost losing the rest of the guild on not being strong enough to fight against the anti-magic particles in his blood stream. Whenever they were alone he had been trying to pry from Lucy how she had saved everyone. Yet the only reason she had been left free would have potentially left the guild turning on her.

One of her fears had always been being left alone. Lucy didn't like being alone. Yet she was never able to fully open herself up to people. She wanted to, but her long life made it almost impossible. Humans had such a fleeting life span and she was always watching them die. Losing more and more people as time went by. Watching millions or billions of allies and friends die as time flowed past her. Leaving her mostly untouched until her next cycle began. She had never been able to keep herself out of wars, wanting to help humanity as much as she could.

Soon she would have to watch everyone in this room slowly leave her. The dragon slayers and Zen would be the last, they would spend centuries or maybe a millennia or two with her, but eventually they would leave as well. They weren't immortal they would die one day. None of them would ever be able to let injustice pass them by. And eventually once again she would be left alone!

* * *

_**AN: For Friendship/We Are Alive Day** _

_**Hope you guys enjoy the newest chapter and does anyone have any ideas for the Dark Seith's name, I've been struggling with that. Thanks for reading and please tell me your views on the story and your theories they help inspire me for every chapter :)** _


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

Kaleb was there the second Kuri's eyes started fluttering open. He had been waiting for over a day wanting to see the woman he loved again. For the first time in years her eyes were clear when they opened, no longer holding that sadistic look he had become used to, instead they held pain and fear as if she was afraid that he would reject her. How he wished he could do what his father and Lucy had done the moment she had woken, mold his lips to hers and know this time it was from love. Prove to his Princess that he loved her more then life itself. He would even give up his title as Master of White Sea if it meant he could be with her.

"It wasn't a dream, I really am free aren't I?" her rich voice almost made him buckle at the knee's. Her effect on him was even more potent now that he knew she was a hundred percent in control of her own mind.

"You're free Kuri."

"Thank you Kaleb, thank you!"

For a moment he thought she was going to kiss him and wondered how he could politely avoid it. If her lips met his at this point in time there was no way he would be able to deny himself what he wanted. He would have her naked on that bed within minutes, pounding into her to show her how much he wanted her, making her scream his name over and over again.

Instead it proved her mind was still a little scrambled when she launched herself into his arms, and he had never even heard a thought from her. Tears were flowing from her eyes as she held him and just cried. Letting out the pain she had been feeling for years. Feelings she hadn't been able to let go of when she hadn't been in control of her own mind. He wanted to give her this time to grieve knowing that soon he would have to call her father, informing him of what had happened, telling him everything from the last few years. Even if he wanted to keep some things private, he knew that the King needed the complete information to understand just why they needed to launch a full scale investigation on everything Kurino had done the last few years.

Unfortunately she would also have to go through the immaculate light chamber, to prove that there was no more darkness in her. Hopefully without that parasite this time it wouldn't try to kill her. Although the parasite being so connected and disconnected from her at the same time, might be the very reason that she had almost died when it was time for her to take command of the knights. If her father had listened to the warning signs and noticed his daughter wasn't herself perhaps Kurino could have been saved sooner. Kaleb knew it was harsh to think that way, especially because he was certain Lucy was probably the only one who had been capable of freeing Kurino. Obviously the immaculate light hadn't been strong enough or Kurino would have been free years earlier.

* * *

Arman had finally left to go take care of some of his affairs. He had been adamant that they wouldn't have the conversation they were due to have until she was completely healed. The stubborn man believed that it would stress her out too much to have the talk right now, and he was worried reopening the wound on her chest might have made her heart a little weak. He was sweet, but she felt like she would remain stressed until she explained as best as she could why she hadn't told him the moment she had remembered him.

When would he call Tessa? Or would he allow her the honor of confronting her brother and allowing him to know she was still alive? He hadn't even told Minda yet. Minda was still hanging around the guild and Lucy wanted to go to her old best friend and confess everything. Including the things she hadn't told anyone. There was much Arman didn't know of the time right before her death. Nothing that would have affected the end of her time as Ganier, it wasn't anything that would have stopped what had happened, but the news would have probably caused him to grieve even more.

"Hi Lucy, are you up for some company?" Emzadi asked popping her head into the room, her baby bump was really starting to show now. Making Lucy wonder just how much longer until the blonde slayer gave birth.

"Of course Emzadi. Come sit."

"What's up is Laxus driving you crazy already?"

"No not yet. It's actually been rather pleasant. He's been so attentive and the sex has been amazing. I didn't realize how much magic the babies were taking from me until Laxus started to be the one to supply it for them. Just being around him keeps my inner dragon calm and I've been running him ragged now that the cravings have started."

Lucy wished more then anything that she could talk to Emzadi about her own pregnancies. Share stories about how flustered Arman had been during each. How sweet he had been, doing anything she needed, half of the time before she knew she needed it. In the past she and Arman had been so in sinc and Lucy missed it more then anything. She wanted that connection with him again. Wanted that feeling of being loved more then the moon and the sun combined. Knowing that she had been the choice of an amazing man, so much so that he had never found happiness again after he had lost her.

Hopefully Emzadi wouldn't feel betrayed when she found out the truth. Lucy was thankful for the young slayer. If it hadn't been for her Lucy would have probably never had a reason to return to Bosco in this life and she would have missed meeting Arman again. Lucy would have lost him before she really understood what they had, and possibly would have never remembered the five glorious years the two of them had spent together.

"Well if he ever goes out of line just let me know, but excuse me for saying this if I'm out of line you seem a little sad. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Emzadi sighed a wistful expression crossing her face, "it's just been lately I've been thinking of my birth family. They were killed in a clan war shortly after I had been born, my mother had already been weak during her pregnancy with me, and she never really got the chance to recover. I had another brother you know, a biological one, but he had been stolen by slavers one night while my father was gone. My mother almost lost me that night. Apparently my brother had fought to keep the both of us safe before they stole him. I guess I've just been wishing they could be a part of my life and see how happy I became."

Lucy knew how that was. She had always wondered when she was Ganier about the birth family she had lost. Not having the memories of them. You would always wonder how they might react to the way your life turned out. Lucy still found herself thinking about her biological family and she knew more then anyone what Emzadi's brother must have been feeling. Her mother had been pregnant when she had been killed. It seemed something they had in common. Pregnancy had a way of making you think of all the what ifs. It was part of the hormones that raced through your blood, the same ones that had you doubting whether or not you would be a good parent.

Yet there was also a niggling feeling in the back of Lucy's head. Emzadi's story sounded so familiar, but for some reason Lucy just couldn't remember where she had heard a similar story in the past. It irritated her, but an occasional slip in the memory was something she had come to expect after living for a so many millennia.

"I'm sure they are proud of the young woman you have become. I've only known you for a short time Emzadi, but I know how strong you are. You brought something back to me that I have been missing for a long time and there is no way I can ever repay you. So thank you Emzadi."

* * *

He had finished his tasks earlier then he expected and was a little surprised that his eldest daughter was in the infirmary with his love. It was nice that they got along so well. And he knew as he listened to the end of their conversation that Lucy was thanking Emzadi for bringing her back to him. She was right there was nothing they could ever do to repay their daughter for reuniting them. Arman wanted to know what had happened to Ganier to make her become Lucy Heartfilia so badly, wanted to know why she had never come back to him, but he had to be patient. His love was still healing and he wasn't going to risk hurting her just to get answers. He could only be glad that he had gotten a second chance with her. Whatever had happened he knew it had to be big. His Ganier would have never risked hurting him and their children in such a way if she had any other choice. As always he needed to trust her and just show her along the way that he still loved her more then anything.

Perhaps a part of him had always known she was still alive. How else could he explain never wanting to remarry even after he had promised Ganier the day Zen was born that he would find happiness again if anything happened to her. Arman had always meant to keep that promise, but something had always held him back from committing to any of the woman he had tried to give a chance to.

When he had found Zen again he had prayed so hard that he would find her to. Prayed to every god he could think of. Needing his wife back in his life and now he was thanking them for bringing her back to him.

He was going to be a grandfather. He had his wife back finally. Arman's family would soon be complete. There was nothing more he could ever ask for.

* * *

Cristoff watched his dad's eyes trained on the infirmary door and wondered how he would tell him and Lucy what he had realized when he was healing her. He had never thought his father would lie to him, but he didn't see the shy young woman being the type to sleep around. Her Fioran morals would keep her from being as comfortable in her own skin as a Boscan would be. Lucy Heartfilia was pregnant and Cristoff was certain his father was the father of her child. They had said nothing had happened when they had caught Lucy in his bed, but clearly that had to be a lie. The pregnancy wasn't far enough along for it to be anyone else, and she had been traveling with Emzadi for a long time before that. Plus he had been healing her from the hellspawn and he would have detected if she was pregnant back then.

For some reason Kaleb paled when he picked up on Cristoff's thoughts. Perhaps he had known that their father had been lying to them as well. Not that Cristoff could understand why. They were Boscans, Lucy was over the legal age, and she was a rare beauty there was nothing to be ashamed of. Heck they had all been happy thinking their father had finally found someone he wouldn't mind getting to know and hopefully marrying one day. Cristoff just had never expected his father to get a woman pregnant out of wedded bliss, considering how religiously he took the birth control disks Cristoff had created. He had thought his father was happy enough with bugging his children for grandchildren. Past the age where he might want more children of his own.

Or maybe Kaleb was paling from something else. Cristoff knew that Kaleb was the one dealing with Princess Kurino now that she was free from that strange parasitic creature that had been infecting her with darkness for years. The Princess had been trapped inside her own mind so deeply that not even his mindbender brother had been able to get her out. Cristoff actually wondered if there had been more to Kaleb calling Princess Kurino here so suddenly, had his brother known that Princess Kurino's mind hadn't been her own?

'Yes. But not even I could free her. Hell Cris not even the immaculate light had been enough to free her from it's control. Somehow I just knew Lucy could help her.'

'Why did you never tell anyone Kaleb.'

'Because no one would have ever believed me without proof. Everyone just thought she had been stressed from seeing too much after the war with Seven, that it had changed her from the innocent girl we grew up beside. I had nothing to prove that wasn't the case. No idea what was wrong with her. All I could do was be there for her and not go to her father when she started abusing her position I always knew she would come back to me... us, we just had to be patient.'

'I could have helped you Kaleb. We all would have done anything to change her back into the Kurino we knew.'

'Maybe so, but we had no idea what was causing her to act that way she was. There was nothing we could do, no matter how badly I wish there had been.'  
Cristoff's eyes widened in disbelief. He couldn't believe he had never noticed it before. He was supposed to be the most sensitive of his siblings and he had no clue. 'You're in love with her. You're in love with the Princess of Bosco!'

'Yes.'

Just one simple word said in his mind sent Cristoff reeling. No wonder Kaleb had always done his best to shield his brothers from Princess Kurino's growing darkness, he hadn't wanted them to hate her when she was finally free. Because he wanted her to be a part of their family one day. Sure maybe Kaleb hadn't actually said any of that and was no glaring at Cristoff, but it was obvious why Kaleb kept putting off actually accepting any of the numerous marriage contracts he got now. He wanted Princess Kurino to be his wife.

If he won her heart from Farron Kaleb could become the King of Bosco one day. Which if Cristoff had a choice on who would be the next king of his beloved country his older brother would be the top of his list. Kaleb had already proven with how he ran White Sea that he could handle large stressful work loads that could affect the entire country. It really wouldn't be that hard for him to transition into the role of Prince and one day King. But it would mean Kaleb would have to give up the Mastership of White Sea. A royal wasn't allowed to run a guild, let alone the future king.

'I know. For her though it would be worth it. Cris don't tell dad, he has a lot on his plate right now, and the last thing he needs to be worrying about is whether I'm about to get me heart broken. Kuri needs time to heal from the damage to her mind. Right now isn't the time for us and potentially we will never have a chance together.'

'Alright, but don't keep everything bottled up this time Kaleb. If you need anything tell me. Even if it's just a spar to get rid of some of the more pressing emotions you are feeling.'

'Thanks Cris, you're a good brother.'

'I aim to please.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really hope you enjoy the plot twists in this chapter. Is Cristoff right about Lucy being pregnant? You'll just have to read to find out. Please tell me what you think and any ideas you have about how the story will go forward, it always helps inspire me for more writing.


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